Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Engagement with Iran should not be an end goal in and of itself.
Conclusion
Engagement with Iran should not be an end goal in and of itself. Rather, engagement should seek to encourage Iran to play a positive, constructive and predictable role as a regional power, which uses international norms, respect for human rights and the rule of law as the basis for its actions. At its heart, a strategy must send a clear message: that Iran’s destabilising activities are unacceptable because they adversely impact the region and its peoples, but that when the time comes, the door is open to diplomacy. (Paragraph 68) No prosperity without justice: the UK’s relationship with Iran 31
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We agree with the conclusion of the Committee. The UK-Iran bilateral relationship is an important part of our policy and a key enabling tool in achieving our wider goals. The UK has successfully kept the diplomatic door open for renewed dialogue. We will continue to send a clear message about the opportunities of a new US Administration, the urgent need to engage quickly on a return to nuclear compliance, and to ongoing discussions about Iran’s role in the region.