UK foreign secretary says London wants to pay Iran’s debt

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she recognized that Britain's debt to Iran was legitimate, Independent said.

The Foreign Secretary was asked about the amount at a Chatham House event on Wednesday, where she set out her foreign policy aims.

She also claimed that the UK authorities were also working to “resolve the issue” over the debt – relating to a canceled order for 1,500 Chieftain tanks dating back to the 1970s at the time of the previous Shah regime which was toppled in the 1979 revolution.

Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a phone call with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in early November to stress the need for the UK to pay back the debts to Iran as soon as possible.

London has claimed that because of the US sanctions cannot pay Iran's debt while the debt dates back to before the revolution.

KI/PR