News British flags burned in Iran as crowds chant 'Death to Britain' after ambassador arrest Around 200 protesters gathered outside the embassy in Tehran, 24 hours after ambassador Rob Macaire was arrested at a demonstration outside a university in Iran's capital Share Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now politics

Union flags have been burned outside the British embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran - 24 hours after the UK ambassador was arrested.

Roughly 200 protesters chanting "Death to Britain" gathered outside the building as tensions heighten.

It comes after Rob Macaire was briefly arrested at a demonstration outside a university yesterday .

An Iranian MP today accused Mr Macaire of "interference" and said he could be forced to leave if this continues.

The 53-year-old was accused of inciting protests at Amir Akabir University, as thousands of Iranians across the country demonstrated following the attack on Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 which killed all 176 people onboard. Robert Macaire was arrested in Tehran on Saturday Read More

Tensions are high in the region, with seven mortar bombs today falling inside Iraq's Balad air base, which houses US forces, and four Iraqi soldiers were wounded in the attack, two military sources told Reuters.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab branded the ambassador's arrest a "flagrant violation of international law". A Union Jack is burned outside the British embassy in Tehran (Image: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA-EFE/REX)

Today Iranian MP Hossein Ali Haji Deligani, accused the ambassador of interfering with Iranian affairs, Fars News Agency reports.

He said: "The undue presence of the British ambassador in some gatherings is a flagrant interference in Iran's affairs and it should be studied at the parliament, specially the National Security Commission. Crowds chanted 'Death to Britain' during the protest (Image: AFP via Getty Images) An anti-British protest was held outside the embassy (Image: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA-EFE/REX) Read More Widow of Iran plane crash pilot 'begged husband not to fly' during final conversation

"I call on the British envoy to end his interference and leave Iran before the Iranian nation forces him to leave."

In a statement, Mr Raab said: "The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law. An Iranian MP warned the British ambassador could be forced to leave (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

"The Iranian government is at a cross-roads moment.

"It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to de-escalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards." Dominic Raab has condemned the ambassador's arrest (Image: Steve Reigate)

In a joint statement Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the arrest.

"On Iran, they discussed the tragic loss of life on the Ukraine International Airlines passenger jet.

"They condemned Iran's arrest of the UK Ambassador to Tehran as a violation of international law," a spokesman said. Read More

"The leaders also discussed our shared interests in ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and reaffirmed their continued commitment to preserving the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal)."

Mr Macaire was arrested as he returned to the British embassy.

Following a number of urgent calls to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was eventually released and allowed to return to the embassy.

Mr Macaire was said to have been one of a number of individuals held on suspicion of organising, provoking and directing radical actions.

He has been the UK's envoy to Iran since he was appointed in March 2018. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said he was to blame for the plane being shot down (Image: Getty)

He has previously headed the Counter Terrorism Policy Department at the Foreign Office.

Protests have broken out across Iran over regime deception following the shooting down of a Ukranian plane on Wednesday.

An Iranian general accepted he was to blame for mistakenly shooting down a civilian aircraft with the loss of 176 ­people and declared: “I wish I could die.”

General Amir Ali Hajizadeh admitted his unit had mistaken the Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 for an enemy target. Protests outside the British embassy in Tehran (Image: ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA-EFE/REX)

The general, head of the ­aerospace division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said: “I wish I could die and not ­witness such an accident.”

His admission came as a fourth British victim was named as 17-year-old Arad Zarei, from London, who had been visiting his mum in Iran.

A leader of Iran's opposition Green Movement, Mehdi Karroubi, called on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down over the handling of the shooting down of the Ukrainian airliner.

In a statement posted online, Karroubi asked when Khamenei was told about the shooting down of the plane after it took off from Tehran on Wednesday, and why there had been a delay in informing the public about the real reasons for the crash. Like us on Facebook