US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton

REUTERS

The White House condemned "in the strongest terms" the storming of the British Embassy in Tehran by Iranian protesters on Tuesday and urged Iran to prevent further assaults on diplomatic sites in the country, reports Reuters.

"Iran has a responsibility to protect the diplomatic missions present in its country and the personnel stationed at them," White House press secretary, Jay Carney said in a statement.

"We urge Iran to fully respect its international obligations, to condemn the incident, to prosecute the offenders, and to ensure that no further such incidents take place either at the British Embassy or any other mission in Iran. Our State Department is in close contact with the British government and we stand ready to support our allies at this difficult time," Carney said.

The European Union has also condemned the attack on the British embassy in Tehran and called on Iran to protect diplomats on its territory.

A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton said the attack by protesters on two British diplomatic compounds was a "totally unacceptable incursion."

"It is with extreme concern that we have learnt that the premises of the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Tehran have been overrun by demonstrators," Maja Kocijancic said.

"We strongly condemn this totally unacceptable incursion and call on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately to fulfil its international obligations... to protect diplomats and embassies."

Iranian protesters briefly took six British embassy staff hostage on Tuesday when they stormed the compounds, smashing windows, hurling petrol bombs and burning the British flag in a protest against sanctions imposed by Britain on Iran.