Tehran believes UK 'will pay £450m' in bid to thaw diplomatic relations
1 min read
Britain is expected to pay off a historical debt in the coming days, according to Iran’s envoy to London.
Hamid Baeidinejad made the claim on Telegram, an encrypted messaging service, after reports that UK government lawyers were examining ways to pay legally.
The debt is due to be paid off “in the coming days,” according to the telegram.
The dispute dates back to just before the 1970s revolution, when the UK agreed to sell 1500 Chieftans tanks.
The deal was halted when the Shah was overthrown as part of the 1979 revolution.
Iran paid £650million up front but the UK declined to pay the money back after the revolution.
A court ruling in 2010 maintained the UK owed Iran £450million and should pay Iran back.
Pressure has increased to resolve the dispute after Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a dual UK-Iran citizen jailed in Iran, suggested that honouring it could help secure her freedom. Mr Baeidinejad insisted that any deal was not linked to the case.
Yesterday Mr Ratcliffe spoke about the suffering of the couple’s daughter, Gabriella, three, who is allowed to see her mother for 45 minutes twice a week for colouring-in sessions.
Gabriella is staying with her maternal grandmother in Tehran. The most recent visit was unexpectedly cut short.
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