Iran apologizes to Spain for diplomat's arrest

Fox News Latino, Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez said Friday that the "diplomatic incident" with Iran has been settled after accepting the Iranian apology for the brief detención earlier this week of Spain's consul in Tehran.

Jimenez told a press conference that Iran's Ali Akbar Salehi called her on the telephone Thursday to apologize for what had occurred and to inform her that an investigation is underway to assign responsibilities.

"This diplomatic incident has now been settled, which for Spain was very serious," the minister said, adding that the Iranian government had complied with the 48-hour period set by Madrid for providing an explanation.

Consul Ignacio Perez Cambra was detained Monday by several plainclothes police officers while in the vicinity of the Spanish Embassy, and was taken to a police station, where he was freed almost 4 1/2 hours afterwards without charges.

Shortly before the arrrest he had been with the Spanish ambassador, Leopoldo Stampa, near the place where a banned opposition protest had been called in downtown Tehran.

The Iranian minister "told me that he was aware that the Vienna Convention had been violated, and was therefore sending me his apologies," Jimenez said.

After saying that he regretted what had occurred, Salehi told Jimenez that the people who provoked this "diplomatic incident were unaware that they were violating the Vienna Convention."