Minister for the Middle East visits Iran

This is the first visit by a UK minister to Iran since the United States withdrew from the Iran Nuclear deal in May, and Minister Burt’s third visit to the country. The Minister will have two days of meetings with Iranian Ministers, politicians and NGOs. On Saturday he will meet his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Minister Burt said:

This is a crucial moment for Iran’s relationship with the UK, and the wider world. Since the US withdrew from the nuclear deal we, along with European and international partners, have reiterated our support for the deal and have underscored this support through mechanisms such as EU blocking legislation. As long as Iran meets its commitments under the deal, we remain committed to it as we believe it is the best way to ensure a safe, secure future for the region.

Our support for the nuclear deal, though, does not prevent us strongly challenging Iran on issues where we disagree. During my visit this week I will stress that Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its destabilising activities in the Middle East must be addressed. I will also use the opportunity of my visit to push for the resolution we all want to see in the cases of the British dual nationals detained in Iran.