UK SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN

Early day motion 77, tabled 18 November 2009 by Andrew Gwynne (Labour). Signed by 25 members.

That this House welcomes the British Government's Financial Restrictions Order of 12 October 2009 in relation to business relationships with the Iranian Bank Mellat and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) owing to their involvement in financial transactions and transportation of goods related to Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes; calls on other nations to introduce similar measures; notes with alarm the discovery by the Israeli navy on 4 November 2009 of roughly 500 tons of Iranian weapons in IRISL shipping containers on board the vessel Francop en route to Syria and Lebanon; deplores this find as a breach of UN Resolutions 1701 and 1747 and incontrovertible evidence of Iranian interference in the Middle East; and asks the Government to continue pressing for Iran's co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in partnership with the international community and to prepare for further sanctions to prevent Iran from disrupting Middle East peace negotiations and fuelling conflict in the region.

Signatures by party: Labour 17, Liberal Democrat 6, Conservative 1, Independent 1.