TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone together with his British counterpart Yvette Cooper on Friday (Dec 20), Iranian state media mentioned, marking a uncommon occasion of direct contact between Tehran and London amid strained relations.
Iran’s overseas ministry mentioned the 2 ministers “confused the necessity to proceed consultations at numerous ranges to strengthen mutual understanding and pursue problems with mutual curiosity”.
A UK authorities supply mentioned Cooper emphasised the significance of a diplomatic answer to Iran’s nuclear programme and raised various different issues through the name.
Amongst them was the case of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple detained in Iran for almost a yr on suspicion of espionage, the supply mentioned. The Iranian overseas ministry assertion didn’t point out the couple.
NUCLEAR TENSIONS AND SANCTIONS
In keeping with the Iranian account of the decision, Araghchi criticised what he described because the “irresponsible strategy” of three European international locations in direction of Iran’s nuclear problem, referring to Britain, France and Germany.
On the finish of September, the three international locations moved to set off the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, a step Tehran has strongly condemned.
Western powers have lengthy accused Iran of searching for nuclear weapons, a cost Tehran denies, insisting its programme is for peaceable functions.
