Written question asked by Robert N Wareing (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 23 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 March 2010. It was answered by Ivan Lewis (Labour) on Monday, 29 March 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran: Foreign Relations

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of UK relations with Iran; what plans he has for the future of UK-Iran relations; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: UK-Iran relations are hindered by the Iranian authorities' harassment of our embassy in Tehran and their insistence on blaming the UK for all of Iran's problems. We will continue to seek to engage the Iranian authorities on the many important issues of concern, including Iran's nuclear programme, human rights abuses and restrictions on civil liberties, and Iran's role in the region. We will also continue to press for a satisfactory resolution to the bilateral issues between us, including the arrest of embassy staff in Tehran.

Secondary information