UK Debt to Iran Has Nothing to Do with Release of Jailed Criminals: Defence Ministry

What follows is the full text of the statement released by the Iranian government’s website:
Despite the Ministry of Defence’s follow-up, the British company IMS has refused to pay its debts after the non-implementation of military agreements.

Inevitably, the legitimacy of Iran’s request has been proven by the legal and judicial efforts made at the international courts as well as in the domestic courts of Britain.

However, the relevant authorities in the UK have refused to pay their debts under various false pretexts resorting to illegal and cruel sanctions. They have also damaged their reputation in the international arena, and especially in the eyes of the Iranian nation.

There is no doubt about the UK’s debt to Iran, and the ministry of defence is persistently and seriously seeking the realisation of the Iranian people’s rights, which was recently emphasised by the British Defence Secretary.

While the British Secretary of Defence acknowledges the 40-year-long British debt to Iran in order to obey international principles and regulations and ensure Iran’s national rights; London is expected to take practical and immediate steps to make up for the past so that the dissatisfaction and protest of the Iranian government and people towards Britain would not continue.

The issue of Britain’s debt to Iran is the result of the ruling of international tribunals based on an independent legal case that has nothing to do with the release of prisoners and other issues, because the verdicts were issued years before the case of imprisoned criminals.

While the relevant verdicts and documents have been provided to the British side and they have also accepted this debt, Iran expects the British government to be serious to settle these debts and claims promptly.

In this case, some incorrect numbers and figures are announced by the media which are merely speculative and far from reality. The amount of this debt is proportional to the time of payment of the final figures, taking into account the main debt and its relevant interest, because the basis for the final settlement are Iran’s claims and issued verdicts.

Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Defence announces that the ministry is seriously and harmoniously pursuing the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran relying on legal and managerial mechanisms and in cooperation with Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Bank.