International   

Iran has imposed trade embargo on Britain?

Robert Tait and Ewen MacAskill

Teheran's move follows U.K.'s stand on nuclear programme

Ahvaz (southern Iran)/London: The U.K. Foreign Office is investigating whether the Iranian government has slapped a trade embargo on Britain as punishment for the U.K.'s stance over Iran's nuclear programme.

Diplomats in Teheran said the informal move — which has not been officially announced — appeared to be in retaliation for Britain's uncompromising stance and reflected a worsening in relations between the countries.

A Foreign Office spokesman in London said: ``We are aware of indications that action has been taken against British companies but it has happened before at various times of tension, and I believe we can cope.'' It follows a period of heightened tension between the two countries and follows Iranian accusations that Britain was behind a series of bombings in the south of the country at the weekend.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other government figures have accused Iran of providing sophisticated weapons to militant groups that have been used to kill British troops in southern Iraq this year.

On S. Korea too

The anti-British trade ban has been accompanied by other ad hoc embargoes against South Korea, the Czech Republic and Argentina. All three countries voted for a British-led resolution at last month's meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which agreed to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council unless it suspended current nuclear activities.

Britain sells about $1 billion a year in goods, mainly for the oil industry, to Iran. Iranian sales to Britain are relatively small by comparison.

Iran took similar action a few years ago, according to a British official.

He said it was normal for the Iranian Government not to formally announce such a ban but simply to delay visas, credit deals, customs papers and take other such actions that bring trade to a standstill.

The move against Britain came after calls from Iran's hardline media for a severing of links between the two countries. Gholamhossein Elham, chief of staff to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirmed on Wednesday that worsening political ties would affect trade relations. ``Political relations and views definitely have an impact on economic relations,'' the ISNA student news agency quoted him as saying.

``Iran's political, economic and cultural relations with other countries are connected to one another and these relations have an impact on each other.''

Rhetoric

The latest embargo follows a period of anti-British rhetoric from Iran.

Last month demonstrators hurled petrol bombs and eggs at the British embassy compound in Tehran in anger over the IAEA resolution.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Wilma roars towards Mexico; 13 killed
Stepped up security for Sri Lankan contestants
Iran has imposed trade embargo on Britain?
Fears of irregularities in Constitution vote
U.K.: Indian workers face an uncertain future
Graft: Pinochet stripped of immunity
Malaysian Premier bereaved
Indian, Chinese teams meet

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu