1 Introduction
1. It would be in the UK's interest to have a mature
and constructive relationship with Iran on many levels: political,
strategic, commercial and cultural. Yet this remains an ideal
which is far from being achieved. Relations between the UK and
Iran have been strained for years and suffer from lack of trust
on both sides, born of a fear that one side is seeking to destabilise
or thwart the other, and a perception on both sides that their
interests rarely coincide. This perception has been reinforced
by missed opportunities at various times by both countries.
2. The immediate threat is Iran's progress towards
acquisition of a military nuclear capability, and the possibility
that Iran could, within weeks, produce enough fissile material
for a nuclear warhead. However, our inquiry has taken place at
a time when political change in Iran has led to progress in reaching
an accommodation with Iran on its nuclear programme; and there
is a widespread sense that the prospects for reaching a long-term
settlement which would assuage fears about regional security are
better than they have ever been. In this Report, we assess that
perception and the implications for the UK's policy towards Iran.
3. Our findings are based upon oral evidence from
five individual witnesses as well as members of the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Iran, and the Foreign Secretary and FCO
officials. Transcripts of evidence given by each witness, as well
as written evidence received, are published on the internet.[1]
Although we did not travel to Iran in connection with this inquiry,
we held a private meeting on 24 February with the Iranian Charge
d'Affaires in London; and we have also drawn on information gathered
during our visit to the offices of the International Atomic Energy
Agency in Vienna and from meetings with a number of Permanent
Representatives to the IAEA, in March 2013. We are, as always,
grateful to all those who have helped us during the course of
the inquiry.
1 http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/foreign-affairs-committee/Back
|
