Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospects for progress on (1) the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiations, (2) political prisoner releases, and (3) gas supplies to the UK and EU, of strengthened democratic governance and transparency in Iran; and what discussions they will have with the government of the United States about those prospects.

Iran's lack of regard for the rule of law and lack of transparency was starkly on show in 2022, not least through the authorities' brutal crackdown on protests. The execution of young people detained in connection to protests is a tragic result of a system where forced confessions, lack of due process and disproportionate sentences are rife. UK action, alongside our partners, is shining a light on the regime's persistent human rights violations. Through our sanctions designations, our work in multilateral fora and our lobbying, the UK is keeping the focus of international pressure on the regime including those responsible for unfairly detaining British and other foreign nationals.

A viable deal was put on the table in March and again in August 2022 which would have returned Iran to compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments and returned the US to the deal. Iran refused to seize a critical diplomatic opportunity to conclude the deal with continued demands beyond the scope of the JCPoA. We are considering next steps with our international partners, including the US.

Iran lacks the required physical and political infrastructure for gas exports.