Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said the UK Ambassador to Tehran Rob Macaire was issued a serious notice against participating in illegal meetings.

Iran PressIran news: "We summoned him and stressed that if such actions are repeated, our response will not be limited to summoning. It was a clear message regarding the British envoy's non-conventional act," he said in an interview.

Macaire was arrested for briefly in front of Tehran's Amir Kabir University during a students' candle vigil to commemorate victims of the crashed Ukrainian Boeing 737 which was mistakenly shot down in Iran.

"When police informed me a man was arrested who claims to be UK Amb, I said IMPOSSIBLE! only after my phone conversation w him I identified, out of big surprise, that it's him. 15 min later he was free," Araghchi tweeted at the time.

To a question, the Iranian diplomat said Macaire traveled out of Iran for personal reasons and will be back, adding that the UK government has not introduced a new ambassador.

On January 15, the London-based newspaper Daily Telegraph reported that the Macaire will return to Iran after leaving his mission due to a pre-planned trip to London.

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