Iran protesters storm British embassy

TEHRAN: Around 20 Iranian protesters on Tuesday stormed the British embassy in Tehran, removing the mission's flag and ransacking offices.

The protesters were also shown live on Iranian state television throwing stones at embassy windows, breaking them, and one was seen climbing the wall with a looted portrait of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

The intrusion occurred as ranks of Iranian police in riot gear stood by, doing nothing.

The demonstration came a day after Iran passed a law to expel the ambassador within the next two weeks in retaliation for new British sanctions that cut off all ties with Iran's financial sector.

Britain has threatened to act "robustly" if Iran's foreign ministry follows through by kicking out its ambassador, Dominick Chilcott, who took up his post only last month.