Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he held discussions with Vahid Beheshti during his recent hunger strike outside his Department; and what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the potential merits of proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by David Rutley
On Wednesday 29 March, The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon met with Mattie Heaven to discuss the welfare of her husband, Mr Beheshti, and his call for the UK Government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Lord Ahmad made clear that the UK Government is taking the threats of the Iranian regime, including the IRGC, seriously and highlighted the actions the UK Government is taking to respond robustly to these threats.
The list of proscribed organisations is kept under careful review, but we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription. The UK maintains sanctions on over 300 Iranian individuals and entities including in relation to human rights violations, counter-proliferation, regional activity and support to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. That includes sanctioning the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in its entirety.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
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 reports that Iran Air is allegedly transporting armed drones from Iran to Russia.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK has identified and raised the issue of Iran's deplorable support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine repeatedly, including at the UN Security Council on 19 October and 19 December 2022. Regardless of the method of transport, the provision of these drones is in violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231. On 20 October and 13 December, the UK adopted new sanctions alongside the EU against Iranian individuals and entities involved in these transfers. We will continue to identify Iran's malign activity and hold the regime to account through our words and our actions.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
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 the security situation in the West Bank, in the context of reports of Palestinian Authority arrests of Palestinians with alleged links to Hamas.
Answered by David Rutley
We continue to closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UK continues to provide the Palestinian Authority (PA) with professional support in helping develop its security institutions. This provision includes training and other technical assistance to the PA Ministry of Interior and PA Security Forces (PASF), to support the development of capable, responsible security forces that respect human rights and are accountable to the Palestinian people.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
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 the impact of the relationship between Iran and al-Qaeda on UK security interests.
Answered by David Rutley
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments that we do not comment on intelligence matters. The UK Government closely follows the security situation in Iran and maintains a regular dialogue with international counterparts on this.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his counterpart in Iran on the potential supply of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK condemns Iranian support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has made this directly clear to Iran. Iran's supply of drones is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. The supply of ballistic missiles to Russia would be a significant escalation. On 20 October new UK sanctions targeted Iranian individuals and businesses responsible for supplying Russia with drones. We are working with France and Germany to support a UN investigation into the Iranian transfers, and we will continue to work with the international community to hold Iran and Russia to account.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of comments by Iranian official Kamal Kharrazi that that country has the technical ability to build a nuclear bomb.
Answered by Amanda Milling
Iran has been in non-compliance with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) since 2019 and its nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. Iran's escalation of its nuclear activities is threatening regional and international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
There has been a viable deal on the table since March which would return Iran to compliance with its JCPoA commitments and return the US to the deal. The deal would reverse Iran's nuclear escalation, return Iran's nuclear programme to strict JCPoA limits and restore extensive monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency. If Iran fails to conclude the deal its nuclear escalation will cause the collapse of the JCPoA. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Answered by Amanda Milling
Iran continues to develop its ballistic missile programme, which is destabilising for the region and poses a threat to European security. UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (UNSCR 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, including launches using such ballistic missile technology. Alongside France and Germany, we have written regularly to the UN Secretary-General, most recently on 24 May, to draw attention to Iranian missile activity inconsistent with UNSCR 2231 and raised this at the UN Security Council on 30 June. We urge Iran to fully abide by UNSCR 2231 and all other relevant resolutions.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the findings of the EU report into the Palestinian Authority school curriculum, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK aid to the Palestinian people does not finance material inciting violence or antisemitism.
Answered by James Cleverly
It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system to provide opportunities for the next generation. This report on Palestinian textbooks highlights progress in key areas, but also indicates that anti-Israel content remains. We have been clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable from all parties and should have no place in education. We will continue to raise concerns about this with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and continue to urge all parties to condemn incitement wherever and whenever it occurs. The UK does not fund textbooks in the OPTs. Our education funding to the PA contributes to the salaries of carefully vetted teachers/education workers.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made for the implications of his policies of the EU report into the Palestinian Authority school curriculum; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly
It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system to provide opportunities for the next generation. This report on Palestinian textbooks highlights progress in key areas, but also indicates that anti-Israel content remains. We have been clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable from all parties and should have no place in education. We will continue to raise concerns about this with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and continue to urge all parties to condemn incitement wherever and whenever it occurs. The UK does not fund textbooks in the OPTs. Our education funding to the PA contributes to the salaries of carefully vetted teachers/education workers.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to help expand Israel’s relations with the Arab world.
Answered by James Cleverly
The UK welcomed the historic Israel-United Arab Emirates normalisation deal, and supports all efforts towards peace. The UK is committed to making progress towards a two-state solution and is strongly supportive of a regional approach to peace. We believe that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between Israelis and Palestinians, but international action has a role in facilitating progress. The changing regional context and converging Arab and Israeli interests presents an opening to develop Arab-Israeli relations and create the conditions for serious Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume. The Arab League and Arab states have a key role in the peace process and we are in close contact on this issue.