British ambassador to Iran Macaire was arrested on charges of provoking protests against the government, but was released about an hour later.

The British ambassador to Iran, Robert Macaire, participated in a prayer meeting for Ukrainian plane victims shot down outside Amir Kabir University in Tehran. However, the prayer quickly turned into a protest when hundreds of people chanted slogans asking the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to resign and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) should leave the country.

According to Iran's TASnim news agency, when the British ambassador left the protest to try to return to the embassy, he and some were arrested for allegedly organizing, inciting and directing extremist actions. It is not clear which force arrested Mr. Macaire.

After about an hour in prison, Mr. Macaire, 53, was released and safely returned to the embassy. British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab called the ambassador's arrest unfounded or explained as "blatant violation of international law".

"The Iranian government is at a crossroads. They can continue to go to extremes with all political and economic isolation or take steps to reduce tensions and join the diplomatic path." , the statement of the British Foreign Minister said.

The US has also asked Iran to apologize for arresting the British Ambassador. "This action violates the Vienna Convention, which Iran has a notorious history of violation. We urge Iran to formally apologize to the United Kingdom for violating the Ambassador's rights and respecting the rights of all diplomats. "State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus posted on Twitter.

Demonstrations in Iran erupted after the government admitted to accidentally shooting down the flight number PS752 of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) on January 8, killing all 176 people aboard. The Iranian military said the soldiers mistook the aircraft as a "hostile target" because of its shape, altitude and aircraft suddenly turning toward a military base.

Many Iranians question who ordered the shooting down of the plane, why Iran did not close the international airport or airspace while preparing for potential revenge from the US. Protesters also demand that the people responsible for shooting down the plane and hiding the incident resign and be prosecuted.