Connor Rand
Main Page: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)Department Debates - View all Connor Rand's debates with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(1 day, 19 hours ago)
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Mr Falconer
I thank the right hon. Gentleman, who was my predecessor, for his questions, but for reasons that he will understand, I will not give the precise low-down on our defence assets. I think he refers to the regular exercises that Iran has conducted in the strait. We are a maritime nation, as are many of the Gulf nations, and we take questions about the free passage of trade with the seriousness that they require.
Mr Connor Rand (Altrincham and Sale West) (Lab)
As well as funding and fuelling violence across the world, the Iranian regime is once again showing its brutality on the streets. Like many hon. Members, I have had constituents in my surgery in tears; they are living in constant distress and fear about what might have happened to their families. Will the Minister outline how this Government are truly doing all that they can to bring pressure to bear on the Iranian regime, including with regards to embassy arrangements? Does he agree that a united and co-ordinated message must go out from us and our allies, saying that the regime will pay a price for this horrendous violence?
Mr Falconer
My hon. Friend reflects the feelings of the whole House about the issues that we are describing. He asks me to comment on embassy arrangements. I can confirm to the House that while we did withdraw staff from our embassy in Tehran temporarily, they have now returned, and our embassy is functioning. Our embassy operates under the same restrictions that the rest of Iran currently operates under. As we have heard from many hon. Members, it is a source of real anguish to British-Iranians that we cannot provide consular assistance in Iran in the way that we can in other nations, particularly at a moment of such acute restrictions. However, our ambassador is back in Tehran, alongside his team, and we will do everything that we can.