Speaking in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV Network Channel on Fri., Ben Wallace, who has recently acknowledged legal claim of Iran’s 400 million pound in decade-long case of Chieftain tanks, reiterated, “UK supports JCPOA, because, it believes that implementation of JCPOA will improve situation in the Persian Gulf.”
To ensure continuation of trade through Strait of Hormuz, international rules and regulations should be observed, he said, adding, “Continuation of free transit in Strait of Hormuz is a priority for UK and whole Europe.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Wallace pointed to his country’s support from JCPOA and added, “This is while that foreign ministers of three European countries including France, UK and Germany convened in UK capital London on Thu. and emphasized the need for preserving the international deal against US unilateralism.”
Heiko Maas, Dominic Raab and Jean-Yves Le Drian foreign ministers of Germany, UK and France in a meeting with EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, which was held through vide conference, agreed with the rejection of US claim on activation of snapback trigger mechanism unanimously.
International Military Services (IMS), a subsidiary of the British Ministry of Defense, signed contracts in 1971 to sell more than 1,750 Chieftain tanks and armored vehicles to Iran. The deals were canceled after the Shah was deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but Iran had already paid for the undelivered tanks and demanded its money back.
International arbitration in 2008 ruled the UK owed the debt, but it has not yet paid up.
The British government has not yet paid up the debt.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh also said that the issue of paying off Iran’s debt by the UK government has nothing to do with the release of dual-national prisoners.
MA/IRN84035031