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.
