Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Neil Carmichael (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 17 April 2012 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran

Question: In the Foreign Secretary's discussions with his ministerial colleagues in the EU about Iran, what measures are being considered in response to growing concerns about nuclear proliferation in Iran?

Answer: The measures we will take will go down the twin track of sanctions and negotiations. We now have unprecedented sanctions coming into force on Iran, including not just the oil embargo but a partial asset freeze on the central bank of Iran, and expanded financial measures against Iran, including on gold and precious metals. However, we are sincere about negotiations. I am pleased that the opening round of negotiations in Istanbul went better than previous rounds, and a second round has been agreed for Baghdad on 23 May.

Secondary information