Shots fired at UK embassy in Iran
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The embassy has been on a heightened state of alert.
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain has "protested strongly" at what it says is Iran's failure to protect the British embassy in Tehran after shots were fired at the mission for the second time in a week.
Three or four shots were fired from the street at or near the embassy just before 1 a.m. local time on Tuesday. There were no injuries or damage to the building.
The shots come six days after a similar incident near the British mission in Iran's capital, amid bilateral tension between the countries after a former Iranian diplomat was arrested in Britain over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina that killed 85.
"We've protested strongly to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that security precautions taken by the Iranian authorities after last week's shooting did not prevent this further incident," a Foreign Office spokesman said.
"We consider it a further failure of our hosts' duty to protect the embassy under the Vienna convention," the spokesman said. "The embassy has called once again for an urgent investigation. We want to see those responsible brought to justice."
Britain closed its embassy in Tehran last Wednesday after shots were fired at it from the street. No one was injured in that shooting. (Full story)
The embassy has been on a heightened state of alert since the current diplomatic crisis with Iran began.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said last week security had been beefed up around the compound and police were investigating the shooting, which he described as an "irresponsible act."
Last week's shooting took place just hours after the announcement that Iran had temporarily recalled its British ambassador, Morteza Sarmadi, for consultation over the dispute over the arrest of former diplomat Hadi Soleimanpour.
The Foreign Office in London has denied that Sarmadi's departure amounts to any downgrading of relations.
Soleimanpour, who is in custody at Argentina's request, has protested his innocence.
Iran says his detention is politically motivated. It has promised "strong action" and warned Britain that the issue would harm bilateral ties.
