The European Union has demanded the immediate release of eight Iranian staff at Britain's embassy in Tehran detained yesterday.
EU ministers meeting in Greece warned that ‘harassment or intimidation’ of embassy staff would be met with a ‘strong and collective’ response.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband dismissed as baseless allegations that the staff had a role in the recent riots.
The eight Iranian employees were detained on accusations of involvement in post-election unrest.
Fars news agency said: 'Eight local employees at the British embassy who had a considerable role in recent unrest were taken into custody.
'This group played an active role in provoking recent unrest.'
Iran has accused Britain and the US of inciting street protests and violence that rocked the country after its disputed June 12 presidential election.
Mr Miliband said: 'This is harassment and intimidation of a kind that is quite unacceptable. We want to see (them) released unharmed.'
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today criticised the West for 'idiotic remarks' over the election.
Mr Khamenei said: 'Some European and American officials with their idiotic comments about Iran are speaking as if all their own problems have been resolved and Iran remains the only issue for them.
'They ignore the fact that the Iranian people believe that wherever they (Western leaders) step politically, that spot becomes soiled.'
Last Tuesday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain was expelling two Iranian diplomats after Iran forced two British diplomats to leave.
Iran has also expelled the BBC correspondent in Tehran and arrested a British-Greek journalist, as well as a number of other British passport-holders it says were involved in rioting.
Official results showing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won re-election by a landslide sparked days of street protests.
Defeated challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi says the vote was rigged and the government is to blame for
State media have said 20 people were killed in violence since the vote, and authorities accuse Mr Mousavi of responsibility for the bloodshed.
