Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of maintaining sanctions on Iran beyond the expiry date on 18 October 2023.

On 14 September the UK announced, alongside our French and German partners, that we would maintain UN and UK/EU sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran's nuclear programme, as well as UK/EU trade embargoes on arms, missiles and nuclear goods and technology, beyond 18 October 2023. This action is a proportionate and legitimate response to Iran's consistent non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since 2019. It sends a clear message to Iran that it will be held to account for its nuclear advances, which have no civilian justification.