British Airways will now fly direct to Iran after sanctions were lifted following instability in the Middle Eastern country.

The airline will operate six flights a week between Heathrow and Tehran starting from July.

It will be the first time the carrier has flown there since 2012, when the service was suspended.

The British Embassy in Tehran reopened in August last year after being ransacked by a mob in November 2011.

Neil Cottrell, BA's head of network planning, said: "Iran is a large and growing economy and Tehran is a brilliant business city so we are incredibly excited to be adding another gateway to the Middle East for our customers.

"The recent lifting of sanctions opens up exciting new prospects for Iran as a tourist destination.

"And with its rich heritage, unique architecture and world-class food it's unsurprising Tehran is tipped to be a popular destination for 2016."

Sanctions on Iran were lifted last month after the international nuclear watchdog said the Tehran government had met all its obligations under a deal with six world powers.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said at the time that British firms should take advantage of the new opportunities that would open as Iran was brought in from the cold.