Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take in response to Iran's non-compliance with the 2015 Joint Combined Plan of Action nuclear agreement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are currently engaged in negotiations in Vienna aimed at restoring the JCPoA. There is a fair and comprehensive offer on the table and Iran should seize the opportunity to conclude a deal now.
If a deal is not swiftly concluded, and Iran continues its nuclear escalation, we will have to change our approach. Iran will be responsible for missing the opportunity to restore the JCPoA and for bringing about the collapse of the deal.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Iran's ballistic missile programme is destabilising for the region and poses a threat to European security. UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which was unanimously adopted in the Security Council and underpins the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), calls on Iran not to undertake activities related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. These UN ballistic missile restrictions remain in place until 2023. Alongside France and Germany (as E3), we have written repeatedly to the UN Secretary-General, most recently on 18 February, to bring attention to Iranian missile activity inconsistent with UNSCR 2231. We urge Iran to fully abide by UNSCR 2231 and all other relevant resolutions.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the International Criminal Court’s determination that it has jurisdiction over East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza; and what assessment he has made of the potential legal implications of that determination for UK armed forces.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
As the Prime Minister said in his letter to the Conservative Friends of Israel, the UK is a strong supporter of the ICC and we respect the independence of the Court. In this instance we do not consider that the ICC has jurisdiction. We continue to closely follow the ICC's work and are looking at the implications of this decision.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the validity of reports that an Iranian-affiliated group detonated an explosive device outside Israel’s embassy in New Delhi in January 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government works closely with international counterparts on security issues. This particular incident has not been raised by partners - but we work closely with both India and Israel on security issues.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2021 to Question 136502 on Iran: Nuclear Reactors, what recent discussions he has had with the permanent members of the UN Security Council on Iran’s non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We continue to engage closely with the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council to address Iran's non-compliance. We strongly urge Iran to halt return to compliance with its JCPoA commitments without delay.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Iran’s recent announcement of the installation of 1,000 additional centrifuges and increase in its supply of uranium concentrate powder.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Iran's recent announcements regarding the installation of advanced centrifuges at Natanz and announcement that it will commence design work for a new heavy water reactor are of significant concern. It is imperative that Iran does not implement these measures and urgently returns to compliance with its commitments under the JCPoA.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what reports he has received on Iranian plans to construct a new heavy water reactor.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Iran's recent announcements regarding the installation of advanced centrifuges at Natanz and announcement that it will commence design work for a new heavy water reactor are of significant concern. It is imperative that Iran does not implement these measures and urgently returns to compliance with its commitments under the JCPoA.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to pursue a comprehensive agreement with international partners addressing Iran’s (a) nuclear programme, (b) ballistic missile production, (c) human rights record and (d) involvement in financing terrorist groups.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have been clear on the need to keep the diplomatic door open for talks with Iran which address in the long term our concerns about Iran's nuclear programme, its ballistic missile programme and its destabilising regional activities. We will continue to work closely with our international partners to lay the groundwork for such talks.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking to address Iran’s regional aggression since the expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo on 18 October 2020.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK did not want to see the arms embargo expire, given the major implications for security and stability in the region. We remain concerned at Iran's destabilising regional behaviour and continue to hold Iran to account for its activity in the region. We currently have over 200 EU sanctions listings in place against Iran, including against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety. We also continue to support the enforcement of UN prohibitions on the proliferation of weapons to non-state actors in the region, including to Lebanese Hezbollah (UNSCR 2216, Iraqi militia groups (UNSCR 1546) and the Houthis in Yemen (UNSCR 1701). The EU arms embargo on Iran remain in place as do UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran. We are committed to working with regional partners, the E3 and the US to find a sustainable solution to Iranian proliferation to non-state actors in the region.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what meetings Ministers of his Department had with representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK continues to have a close relationship with the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, and our ministers and diplomatic representatives maintained regular contact with representatives of the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq in 2018 and 2019. Current and former Foreign Secretaries and Ministers for the Middle East and North Africa have spoken with the KRG leadership including President Nechirvan Barzani. Most recently, I spoke to Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Masrour Barzani on 23rd September. The UK looks forward to continued close engagement with the KRG as a critical and valued partner in the region.