Foreign Ministry Spokesman’s comments on breaking up decades-long & unjustifiable resistance of Britain in repaying Iranian nation’s debt
The Spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Ministry has responded to media questions about the host of measures on collection of Britan’s decades-long debt to Iran.
The Spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Ministry has responded to media questions about the host of measures on collection of Britan’s decades-long debt to Iran.
“The negotiators of our country, especially the diplomats of the Islamci Repubic of Iran, managed to return the UK’s 390-million-pound debt to Iran to the country, after more than 40 years, and an intense negotiating process, and despite repeated hampering steps by the British side,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
“This debt goes back to the principal and interest of the prepayment by the Pahlavi regime to Britain for purchase of Chieftain tanks in 1971. The British side, after the Islamic Revolution in Iran and more than 4 decades thereafter, used to refrain from submission of the money to our country, under different pretexts, including sanctions. Nevertheless, representatives of our country, through pursuit of a legal process at competent courts and political pressure on the British government, managed to force this country to acknowledge the need for the payment of the debt.”
“Accordingly, over the past years, the British Foreign Office, Defense Ministry and Prime Minister could not help but acknowledge the debt of their government.”
“As stated before, this key achievement finally materialized over the past days, with the all-out efforts of the relevant bodies and the right of the honorable people of Iran was claimed from Britain and reimbursed and deposited in our country’s treasury,” Khatibzadeh said.
“It should be mentioned that the money is fully and definitely at Iran’s disposal and how the reimbursed sum of money would be spent also follows the decision of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the British side, or any other side, has no right to meddle in this issue,” the spokesman said.
Khatibzadeh also rejected “diversional and false” speculation by some British media about the issue.
“The reimbursement of the claim of the Iranian nation was secured with dignity and without being linked with any other issue, and the allegation that the money is at the disposal of the Swiss government is basically false,” he said.
“The most important issue, which all media and the honorable people of Iran, should pay attention to is that British media, acting in coordination with each other, by raising the issue of security prisoners, in a hysteric manner, try to overshadow the repayment of the debt by their relevant government, but what is of utmost significance and is central here, is the collection of the rights and claim of the Iranian people from the British government, a debt that remained unpaid for decades, due to the unjustifiable resistance of the British government.”