Small extremist demonstration blocks European ministers in Tehran

TEHRAN (AFP) Oct 21, 2003
A demonstration by a small number of Iranian extremists Tuesday briefly held up the convoy of the visiting British, French and German foreign ministers after they secured an Iranian commitment to comply with demands from the UN's nuclear watchdog.

Surrounded by riot police, some 200 young extremists were seen outside the gates of the north Tehran Saadabad palace, where the landmark deal had been made during the day, forcing the ministers' conviy to take another exit.

An AFP correspondent at the scene heard the groups chant slogans including "Down with the USA, Israel and Britain!", "Jack go home!" and "Humiliation diplomacy? never!".

Britain's Jack Straw, France's Dominique de Villepin and Germany's Joschka Fischer were in Tehran for just a day, capping a diplomatic bid to resolve Iran's stand-off with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

WAR.WIRE