MP presses the Foreign Secretary for answers on Iran.

In oral questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs yesterday, Tuesday 10th January 2006, David Amess MP pressed the Foreign Minister, Jack Straw for a statement on Iran’s nuclear programme.

In response to his question Mr Straw said,

‘This morning I regret to say, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran had broken seals at nuclear facilities, including its uranium-enriching facility at Natanz, with a view to resuming research and development…This is a profound concern.’

These words reiterated those of a Downing Street spokesman that morning who was reported by the BBC to have said that there was a ‘growing recognition’ that Iran was posing a ‘real problem.’ 

These comments follow the statement made by Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the UN atomic watchdog the IAEA that reported that Iran is planning to begin small-scale nuclear enrichment, a claim that Tehran is currently denying, maintaining that they want to produce energy only.
The White House have responded to say that the re-opening of the atomic research centre at Natanz puts Iran at risk of incurring sanctions from the UN Security Council.

It was this point that David Amess MP raised in his follow up question to Mr Straw saying,

‘In light of the Iranian regime’s breach of two agreements with the EU-3 in October 2003 and November 2004, and in light of what the right hon. Gentleman has just said about Tehran resuming nuclear activities at Natanz, surely the time has come to refer Iran’s nuclear file to the United Nations Security Council.’

Mr Amess welcomed Mr Straw’s reply that stated he would be meeting with his French and German colleagues with whom he signed the Paris Agreement in 2004 in the near future to discuss a coordinated response.