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Photo Recalling 'Occupation' of Iran Sparks Major Criticism in Tehran Against Moscow

The photo showed the Russian envoy, Levan Dzhagaryan, and Britain’s ambassador, Simon Shercliff, sitting where US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin sat together at the Russian embassy during the 1943 strategy meeting - Getty Images
The photo showed the Russian envoy, Levan Dzhagaryan, and Britain’s ambassador, Simon Shercliff, sitting where US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin sat together at the Russian embassy during the 1943 strategy meeting - Getty Images
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Photo Recalling 'Occupation' of Iran Sparks Major Criticism in Tehran Against Moscow

The photo showed the Russian envoy, Levan Dzhagaryan, and Britain’s ambassador, Simon Shercliff, sitting where US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin sat together at the Russian embassy during the 1943 strategy meeting - Getty Images
The photo showed the Russian envoy, Levan Dzhagaryan, and Britain’s ambassador, Simon Shercliff, sitting where US president Franklin D. Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin sat together at the Russian embassy during the 1943 strategy meeting - Getty Images

A few hours after Iran announced forming its new government, a diplomatic row erupted in Tehran over a photograph published by the Russian embassy showing the UK and Russian ambassadors recalling the 1943 Tehran Conference, when the Allied powers occupied the country during World War II.

Russian ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan and his British counterpart Simon Shercliff were pictured on the same steps allied leaders met during World War II when Iran was invaded.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Dzhagaryan and Shercliff over the photo. Meanwhile, outgoing Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif led a chorus of criticism, calling the picture “extremely inappropriate”.

Amir Abdollahian, Iranian politician and Foreign Minister-designate, also slammed the photo that had sparked major internal conflict over Iran opening up to the West instead of turning to the east.

Abdollahian said the photo was “undiplomatic” and an insult to “the national pride of the Iranian people.”

The Russian embassy had posted the controversial photo on its official Twitter account.

More so, the picture shows the Russian envoy and Britain’s ambassador sitting where British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin sat together at the Russian Embassy during the 1943 meeting. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s chair in the middle was empty.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that a high-ranking official told the two ambassadors that publishing the photo “hurt Iranians’ feelings and national pride.”

Iran’s state-run TV showed scenes from the historic meeting, emphasizing that it took place secretly and without the knowledge of the country’s ruler at the time.

In World War II, Iran was considered pro-Germany, although it had declared itself neutral. While the photo sparked a storm of criticism, Iranian media were busy evaluating the cabinet line-up revealed by the new president, Ebrahim Raisi.

According to Reuters, many are saying on Twitter that the aim of the photo appeared is to remind them of a time when their country was under foreign occupation. Others have noted that the picture represents the “first diplomatic test” or “first challenge” to face Raisi’s new government.

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South Korea Says Will Send Jeju Air Crash Black Box to US

Officials take part in an investigation at the site where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on January 1, 2025. (Photo by YONHAP / AFP)
Officials take part in an investigation at the site where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on January 1, 2025. (Photo by YONHAP / AFP)
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South Korea Says Will Send Jeju Air Crash Black Box to US

Officials take part in an investigation at the site where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on January 1, 2025. (Photo by YONHAP / AFP)
Officials take part in an investigation at the site where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport in Muan, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on January 1, 2025. (Photo by YONHAP / AFP)

South Korean investigators probing a Jeju Air crash which killed 179 people in the worst aviation disaster on its soil said Wednesday they will send one of the retrieved black boxes to the United States for analysis.

The plane was carrying 181 people from Thailand on Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before hitting a barrier and bursting into flames, killing everyone aboard except two flight attendants pulled from the burning wreckage.

South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site in southwestern Muan since the disaster Sunday.

"The damaged flight data recorder has been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction domestically," said South Korea's deputy minister for civil aviation, Joo Jong-wan.

"It was agreed today to transport it to the United States for analysis in collaboration with the US National Transportation Safety Board."

Joo earlier said both of the plane's black boxes were retrieved, and for the cockpit voice recorder, "the initial extraction has already been completed".

"Based on this preliminary data, we plan to start converting it into audio format," he said, meaning investigators would be able to hear the pilots' final communications.

The second black box, the flight data recorder, "was found with a missing connector", AFP quoted Joo as saying.

"Experts are currently conducting a final review to determine how to extract data from it."

Officials initially pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause of the disaster, but they have since said the probe was also examining a concrete barrier at the end of the runway, which dramatic video showed the Boeing 737-800 colliding with before bursting into flames.

They also said that a special inspection of all Boeing 737-800 models operated by local carriers was examining their landing gear after questions over a possible mechanical failure in the crash.

The ongoing inspections are "focusing mainly on the landing gear, which failed to deploy properly in this case", said the director general for aviation safety policy, Yoo Kyeong-soo.

Local media reported the landing gear had deployed properly on Jeju Air Flight 2216's first failed landing attempt at Muan airport before failing on the second.

The issue "will likely be examined by the Accident Investigation Board through a comprehensive review of various testimonies and evidence during the investigation process", the ministry of land, which oversees civil aviation, said at a briefing.