Iranian protesters break into British Embassy in Tehran

Welcome back Carter:

Iranian protesters stormed two British Embassy compounds in Tehran on Tuesday, smashing windows and burning the British flag during a rally to protest against sanctions imposed by Britain, live Iranian television showed.

Protesters threw molotov cocktails and one waved a framed picture of Queen Elizabeth apparently found inside the main compound, the state TV showed.

An NBC News cameraman at the scene reported that the protesters tore down the British flag and replaced it with the Iranian flag.

The Associated Press reported that the protesters, numbering in the dozens, were hardline students and that they clashed with riot police.

They chanted, “The Embassy of Britain should be taken over” and “Death to England.”

Protesters stormed a second compound in northern Tehran as others were still occupying the main building in the city center miles away, news agencies reported.

Without specifying which compound it was referring to, the semi-official Mehr news agency said embassy employees fled. “They left the building a few minutes ago through the back door,” the report said.

The British Foreign Office confirmed the “incursion” by demonstrators and vandalism to embassy property in a statement, and said it was “outraged.”

“Under international law, including the Vienna Convention, the Iranian Government have a clear duty to protect diplomats and Embassies in their country and we expect them to act urgently to bring the situation under control and ensure the safety of our staff and security of our property,” the statement said.

Except when they don’t.