Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Ian Taylor (Conservative). It was answered by Bob Ainsworth (Labour) on Monday, 22 February 2010 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Iran

Question: What recent assessment his Department has made of Iran's military capability; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Iran's military capability is primarily defensive in nature with offensive capabilities intended to provide deterrence to any potential aggressor. Many of Iran's conventional platforms are old, predating the 1979 Islamic revolution. Despite Iran's efforts to procure and produce spares to supplement existing platforms with new equipment, they do not present a significant conventional threat to our or our allies' interests. We are, however, committed to working with the international community to ensure that the difficult issue of Iran's nuclear ambition is resolved through diplomacy.

Secondary information