More than 80 Conservative parliamentarians have today written to
Prime Minister with concerns over the upcoming expiration of the
United Nations arms embargo on Iran and expressing “regret” at
the UK Government’s failure to support efforts to extend it, in a
letter coordinated by the Conservative Friends of Israel.
The parliamentarians, including Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs
Select Committee and the Defence Select Committee and a series of
former Cabinet members, seek assurances on UK Government policy
towards Iran.
The Conservative parliamentarians state that there is an “urgent
need for our Government to unambiguously articulate the UK’s
policy towards Iran and its encouragement of violence in and
beyond the Middle East”. They argue that the “regrettable” UK
decision to not support a recent U.S. effort to extend the arms
embargo will lead to the “influx of Russian or Chinese advanced
weaponry” into the region and poses a “direct threat to our
allies and UK interests worldwide”.
The letter calls for the Prime Minister to address seven
questions relating to UK Government policy on Iran, including
clarification on possible UK sanctions in response to continued
Iranian non-compliance with the JCPOA nuclear deal and a call for
the UK to consider proscribing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps as a terror organisation.
The letter and full list of 84 signatories is attached.
