Policy paper

2010 to 2015 government policy: Iran's nuclear programme

Updated 8 May 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

This is a copy of a document that stated a policy of the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. The previous URL of this page was https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/leading-international-efforts-to-resolve-concerns-about-irans-nuclear-programme. Current policies can be found at the GOV.UK policies list.

Issue

The UK is committed to negotiating a peaceful diplomatic settlement that gives the world confidence that Iran’s nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes. We hope that following the election of President Rouhani Iran will engage constructively with the E3+3 and reach a negotiated settlement with the international community on the nuclear issue. We welcome President Rouhani’s positive comments on improving relations with the West and willingness to engage on the nuclear file. However, we need to see actions, not just words. If Iran is ready to take up the opportunity of a new relationship with the international community, we are ready to respond in good faith.

The UK, along with the international community, remains deeply concerned about the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran continues to develop its nuclear programme in direct violation of six UNSC resolutions and in defiance of several IAEA Board of Governors resolutions. The latest IAEA report of 28 August 2013 confirmed that Iran is continuing to increase and expand its enrichment-related activities and continues heavy-water related activities.

Since the last round of talks between Iran and the E3+3, Iran has installed hundreds of advanced centrifuges, has continued to expand its stockpile of near 5% and near 20% enriched uranium and has continued work on the Heavy Water Research Reactor at Arak. Our concern is that these activities go far beyond what is required for a civil nuclear programme. Iran’s stockpile of near 20% enriched uranium hexafluoride is of particular concern because it would not take much further work to enrich this to the higher levels needed for a nuclear weapon. And the design of the Heavy Water Research Reactor which Iran is constructing is particularly suited to producing weapons grade plutonium, which can also be used to develop a nuclear weapon.

The IAEA has also highlighted its “serious concerns” about the “credible” information which indicates that Iran has carried out extensive activities “relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device”. Iran has also so far failed to respond to the IAEA’s questions over these activities.

Actions

The E3+3, comprising the UK, France, Germany, China, Russia and the US have engaged in nuclear negotiations with Iran since 2006, and the UK, France and Germany have negotiated with Iran since 2003.

We are ready to work with Iran, in the spirit of mutual respect, to help achieve a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear issue and a normalisation of Iran’s political and economic relations with the international community. This would include the end of all nuclear sanctions and Iran’s nuclear programme being treated in the same manner as that of any other non-nuclear weapon state party to the NPT. We welcome Iran’s new government’s positive remarks about transparency of its nuclear programme, but this alone is not enough. Iran needs to take concrete action to address the international community’s key concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme.

The international community has imposed sanctions on Iran because its nuclear programme has continued to develop in ways which give serious cause for concern. It is within Iran’s control to have sanctions lifted. If Iran takes steps to address the concerns of the international community sanctions will be lifted on a step by step basis.

The impact of sanctions on the situation in Iran has been compounded by the economic mismanagement of the previous Ahmedinejad government. In addition to spending billions of dollars on an internationally-condemned nuclear programme, Iran spends vast sums propping up the Syrian regime. We urge Iran to prioritise the needs of its people and make the choices which would bring sanctions to an end.

EU sanctions against Iran are not intended to affect humanitarian goods and payments - we have no quarrel with the people of Iran. This is why there are a number of explicit exemptions to allow Iran to purchase humanitarian goods such as medicines. The UK issues, as a priority, licenses for transactions for humanitarian goods.