Written question asked by Lord Janner of Braunstone (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative) on Monday, 19 December 2011.

Israel and Palestine

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional action they will take against Iran following the attack on the British Embassy in Tehran.

Answer: Following the attack on our embassy in Tehran, we have evacuated our UK staff, closed the Iranian embassy in London and expelled all Iran's diplomats and their dependants. We have reduced bilateral relations to the lowest level without severing them completely. Looking ahead, our fundamental concerns about Iran remain about potential military dimensions to its nuclear programme and its dire human rights record. With our European Union (EU) partners, we have added to the EU's existing sanctions a further 180 entities and individuals linked to Iran's nuclear programme. We have also decided to look at potential new restrictive measures in the energy and finance sectors. We shall continue to speak out about Iran's appalling human rights record. We are open to dialogue, above all on the nuclear issue, if Iran agrees to negotiate seriously over the international community's concerns.

Secondary information