Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
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 implications for his policies of Iran’s reported work on enriching uranium.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified that, since April 2021, Iran is producing high enriched uranium (HEU). Iran has no civilian justification for enrichment at this level. In November 2022, Iran announced it would take further steps to expand its nuclear programme, including increasing its production of HEU at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear activities threatens international peace and security and undermines the global non-proliferation system. We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and are considering next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
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 has increased production of high enriched uranium at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In November 2022 Iran announced it would take further steps to expand its nuclear programme, including increasing its production of High Enriched Uranium at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. This further advances its programme, carrying significant proliferation-related risks and has no credible civilian justification.
Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear activities threatens international peace and security and undermines the global non-proliferation system. Iran's actions over the past months have made progress towards a diplomatic solution much more difficult. We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and are considering next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 Nicaraguan counterpart in that country's government's support for Iran's nuclear weapons programme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We have not had specific discussions with the Nicaraguan government about any support it may be giving for Iran's nuclear programme. However, the UK remains clear in its determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. Iran's nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. It is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system. We are considering next steps with our partners.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
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 nuclear breakout time in light of reports of its increased production of High Enriched Uranium.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. In November 2022 Iran announced it would take further steps to expand its nuclear programme, including increasing its production of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. This step, which further advances its programme, and carries significant proliferation-related risks, has no credible civilian justification.
Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear activities is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system. We are considering next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
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 has increased production of High Enriched Uranium at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. In November 2022 Iran announced it would take further steps to expand its nuclear programme, including increasing its production of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. This step, which further advances its programme, and carries significant proliferation-related risks, has no credible civilian justification.
Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear activities is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system. We are considering next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 Department's policies of Iran's nuclear capabilities; and what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on those capabilities.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. Iran's nuclear escalation is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. Iran's actions over the past months have made progress towards a diplomatic solution much more difficult. We are considering next steps, in discussion with our European and international partners.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
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 compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. It is escalating its nuclear programme, including producing Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU), which is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme.
Iran's nuclear escalation is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
We are considering next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
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 potential merits of instituting snapback sanctions on Iran in accordance with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have always been clear: Iran's nuclear escalation is unacceptable. It is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
A viable deal was put on the table in March which would have returned Iran to full compliance with its 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.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
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 potential impact of providing sanction relief to Iran under a renewed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's nuclear escalation threatens international peace and security and risks undermining the global non-proliferation system. A viable deal was put on the table in March which would have returned Iran to full compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments and returned the USA to the deal.
Iran refused to seize the opportunity to conclude the deal with continued demands beyond the scope of the JCPoA. We are considering next steps with our international partners. The UK has sanctions designations in place on over 300 Iranian individuals and entities including for their roles in weapons proliferation, human rights abuses, and terrorism.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to reverse Iran's nuclear escalation.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
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 international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
There has been a viable deal on the table since March to return Iran to compliance with its 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.