Dual Use Goods and Technologies: Iran

(asked on 23rd September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk of the sale of dual-use goods that could be used for military purposes by Iran after the expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo in October 2020.


Answered by
James Cleverly Portrait
James Cleverly
Home Secretary
This question was answered on 1st October 2020

The UN conventional arms embargo prohibits the sale of military items to Iran. It does not cover dual-use items. All dual-use items for export to Iran are subject to export controls and licences are only granted where this is consistent with the Consolidated EU and UK Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The export of certain dual-use items relating to nuclear and missile technology is also prohibited subject to licensing under UN sanctions.

The UK has been clear that the scheduled expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo in October 2020 would still have major implications for regional security and stability. The UK Government continue to engage regional partners, the US, and others, to find a solution to Iranian proliferation in the region, whilst upholding the authority and integrity of the UN Security Council. We will also continue to enforce sanctions regimes, including those under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1540, 1701, and 2216 which prohibit the proliferation of weapons to Lebanese Hizballah and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK encourages all states to implement national export control best practice in support of these regimes. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran will also remain in place until at least 2023.

Reticulating Splines