Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Paul Holmes (Eastleigh) (Con)
What diplomatic steps he is taking to bring Iran back into
compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Affairs and First Secretary of State (Dominic Raab) We are very
concerned about Iran’s continued systemic non-compliance with its
nuclear commitments, and we have made that clear with our E3
partners, including recently at the ministerial meeting...Request free trial
Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action
(Eastleigh) (Con)
What diplomatic steps he is taking to bring Iran back into compliance with the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Affairs and First Secretary of State ()
We are very concerned about Iran’s continued systemic
non-compliance with its nuclear commitments, and we have made that
clear with our E3 partners, including recently at the ministerial
meeting of the joint comprehensive plan of action.
[V]
Recent confirmation from the International Atomic Energy
Agency that Iran has resumed enriching uranium to 20%
purity at its Fordow facility is enormously concerning, and it is
arguably the most significant breach of the JCPOA. Will the Foreign
Secretary confirm that his Department will press the new
Administration under President-elect Biden to rejoin the deal, and
put much-needed pressure on Iran to return to compliance?
My hon. Friend is right about the risk from the now systemic
serial non-compliance from Iran On 21 December we held a ministerial
meeting of the JCPOA ministerial commission, which was an
opportunity to set out clearly our position, not just the UK, but
with our French and German partners. It is welcome that
President-elect Biden and the new Administration have talked about
coming back to the JCPOA, and enhancing and strengthening it, and
that will be one of the early topics of conversation that we have
with the new Administration.
(Tonbridge and Malling) (Con) [V]
I hope the whole House will join me in welcoming the newest
member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and congratulate my hon.
Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton () on the birth of her second child, which I have just
heard about. Before the Secretary of State joins me in offering
such congratulations, will he also give some thought to the
approach of the new Biden Administration on the Iran deal? He will have read in the
Foreign Affairs Committee’s report, which was expertly helped by my
hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton, the various thoughts
that we put down, including looking at how we can work with
regional partners and allies who are deeply concerned by the change
of Administration, and perhaps a change of tone in the White House.
How will my right hon. Friend ensure that the Biden Administration,
the UK Administration, and our friends and partners in the region
work together to ensure that we stop this malevolent dictatorship
expanding its evil reach any further?
I thank the Chair of the Select Committee, and pay tribute to
my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (). I congratulate both parents on their new child—a very
happy moment. We are obviously putting a lot of thought into how we
engage with the new Administration, including on Iran The E3 unity that we have shown
throughout is a value of strength, and a lever for the United
States and the new Administration. My hon. Friend will also be
aware that there is a window of opportunity between now and the
Iranian presidential elections in early June, to try to make some
definitive progress. Against that timeframe we ought to be able to
focus minds.
Yemen
(Blackpool South) (Con): The crisis in
Yemen is of great concern to all of us, and it is perfectly clear
that Iran is exploiting the conflict for its
own ends. Reports of Iran sending advanced unmanned aerial
vehicles to the Houthis will no doubt only inflame tensions
further. Does the Minister agree that until Iranian aspirations for
regional dominance are curtailed, this conflict and many others
will continue and more lives will sadly be lost?
The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa (): We must see an end to Iran’s
destabilising influence in Yemen, which has stoked further
conflict. We have raised this issue directly with the Iranian
Government. Iran’s provision of weapons to the Houthis is in
contravention of UN Security Council resolution 2216 and the UN
Security Council embargo on the export of weapons by
Iran We remain deeply concerned at Iran’s
political, financial and military support to a number of militant
and proscribed groups in the region, and we will continue working
with international partners to dissuade Iran from proliferation and wider
destabilising actions.
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