In view of the Iranian government's condemnation of the storming of the British embassy by protesters and its call on the Iranian judiciary to identify and prosecute all those responsible, we find the hasty reaction of the UK government in cutting off diplomatic relations with Iran disproportionate, damaging and counterproductive (Is war with Iran inevitable?, 10 December). This overreaction could lead to a total abandonment of diplomacy and a sharp escalation of tensions with Iran. All points of dispute between the two countries should be resolved by means of diplomacy and negotiation only.
On this basis, we call on the UK government to reinstate its diplomatic relations with Iran and engage with the Iranian authorities to address all outstanding issues.
Moazzam Begg, George Galloway, Rev Dr Stephen Sizer, Lauren Booth, David Swanson, Victoria Brittain, Yvonne Ridley, Bruce Kent, Ramzy Baroud, Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Professor Abbas Edalat, Professor David Webb, Professor Mona Baker