UPDATE 2-Britain pledges support for Iran oil embargo-sources

* Britain not recent importer of Iranian oil

* Saudi Arabia could become replacement supplier (Recasts, adds source, adds industry comment)

By Emma Farge

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain will support an embargo on Iranian oil imports following the deterioration of relations between the two countries, diplomatic sources told Reuters on Wednesday, as France tried to rally support for new sanctions within the EU.

Britain shut down the Iranian embassy in London and expelled all its staff on Wednesday, saying the storming of the British diplomatic mission in Tehran could not have taken place without some degree of consent from Iranian authorities.

"Now that the UK has downgraded diplomatic relations with Iran, it will support increased sanctions ... and would likely go ahead with those sanctions unilaterally or with France and Germany," said a diplomatic source, referring to the ban on Iranian crude oil imports.

A British government source said Britain was "broadly supportive" of further energy sanctions on Iran when asked about the proposal for an Iran embargo.

Britain imposed sanctions on Iran's central bank last week after a report by the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency suggested Iran may have worked on developing a nuclear arsenal.

U.S. sanctions already forbid imports from the OPEC member and the European Union is considering new sanctions against Iran - which may include oil - to press Tehran to abandon its nuclear activity.