TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday that the British government has officially apologized for the attack on the Iranian embassy in London.

“The British government has officially apologized and expressed regret and has used the word of apology. It has also pledged to boost security of the embassy and has acted so. Police forces have been deployed outside the embassy,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

Araqchi said the procedure to put the assailants on trial is underway. 

On Friday, four people climbed on to a balcony of the Iranian embassy in London and took down the Iranian flag.

The assailants were arrested after around three hours.

In a post on his Twitter message on Friday, Iranian Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad said the assailants were carrying knives and sticks and chanted slogans against Iranian officials and using bad language against Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman (the caliphs of Mecca) and Aisha, the wife of Prophet Mohammad (S).

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top foreign policy adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said on Saturday that the British government should be accountable to Iran for the attack.

NA/PA