Written question asked by David Amess (Conservative) on Tuesday, 25 May 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 27 May 2010. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Monday, 7 June 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran: Sanctions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to tackle the shipment of weapons and funds from Iran to (a) Afghanistan, (b) Iraq, (c) Lebanon and (d) Gaza in the next six months; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Iranian support in the form of weapons, funding and training to the Taleban, Iraqi militia groups, Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian Rejectionist Groups is unacceptable. It further undermines international confidence in the Iranian regime's intentions, and is at odds with the regime's claim to the international community and its own people, that it supports stability in the Middle East and Afghanistan.The UK has worked with and will continue to work with International Security Assistance Force to interdict shipments of weapons to the Taliban, including from Iran. We will work with international partners and in the UN to urge Iran to comply with international law, including UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR). Iran's transfers of weapons to the groups mentioned are contrary to UNSCRs 1737, 1747, 1803, 1701 (Hezbollah) and 1860 (Gaza).

Secondary information