Iran has summoned the Russian and British ambassadors to Tehran over the release by Moscow’s embassy of a controversial picture, which was taken to bring to mind a World War II-era conference in Tehran that lives in infamy in the historical memory of the Iranian nation, Press TV reported.

Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan was called in by the Iranian Foreign Ministry to receive representations over the release of the picture on Twitter, which shows him and his UK counterpart meeting on the veranda of the Russian embassy in Tehran, the site of a 1943 strategy meeting of the then former -Soviet, U.S. and British leaders — namely Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill — two years after the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

During the meeting on Thursday, the Russian diplomat explained that publishing the photo had merely been meant to highlight the WWII-era alliance with Britain against the Nazi army, and had no anti-Iran intention at all.

He emphasized the deep and strategic ties between Iran and Russia and expressed regret that the picture had hurt the feelings of the friendly Iranian people.

Later in the day, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the British Ambassador Simon Shercliff to explain about the photo.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s assistant, who is also the Foreign Ministry Director General for Western Europe, told the British envoy that it was an unacceptable measure, which “has hurt the national pride of the Iranian nation.”

“The great people of Iran have proven throughout history that they reject any move emanating from arrogant thoughts and will resist against it,” the Iranian official added.

Foreign Minister Zarif took to Twitter to denounce the image as “extremely inappropriate” and said, “Need I remind all that Aug. 2021 is neither Aug. 1941 nor Dec. 1943.”

“The Iranian people have shown — including during the JCPOA talks — that their destiny can NEVER be subject to decisions in foreign embassies or by foreign powers,” Zarif added.

Similarly, Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qaibaf censured the meeting between the Russian and UK envoys as “inappropriate and inconsistent with diplomatic protocols,” calling on the Foreign Ministry to follow up on the insult.

“Both ambassadors must swiftly issue an official apology, otherwise firm diplomatic action will be necessary,” the Parliament chief.