Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Ken Purchase (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 2 March 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Topical Questions

Question: The Government are correct to work for the toughest possible inspection regime of the Iranian ambition to promote enriched nuclear material, whether for domestic or other purposes. However, the Foreign Secretary has a duty to tell us in what circumstances he believes the Iranians might launch an attack on any other country in that region, especially Israel.

Answer: The Iranians do not have a nuclear weapon yet, thank God, and that is important. The whole thrust of our policy is reducing tension in the area. From my discussions with Gulf neighbours, I can tell my hon. Friend that they are extremely worried about Iranian destabilisation activities in the Gulf. The support that is given to Hezbollah and Hamas is also destabilising for the middle east. The offer that has been made clearly to Iran is that it will be treated as a normal country, on nuclear and other matters, when it starts behaving as a normal country. That is not victimisation; Iran is the author of its own misfortunes, massively against the interests of its people. That is why our strategy of reaching out to the Iranian people—not victimising them—while putting pressure on the regime must be the right one. After all, me may be dissatisfied with the Iranian regime, but it is only half the dissatisfaction felt by the Iranian people.

Secondary information