BICOM

Foreign Secretary William Hague met last night with his Iranian counterpart Mohammed Zarif and expressed cautious optimism over Iran’s apparent willingness to engage with the West, emphasising that Tehran must take concrete action to address international concerns.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani last week denied that his country is developing nuclear weapons and indicated a desire to enter a dialogue with the international community. However, following yesterday’s meeting with Zarif in New York in advance of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Hague said “The time is now right for those statements to be matched by concrete steps by Iran to address the international community’s concerns about Iran’s intentions.” Hague told reporters that “There’s a chance, I think, for improved relations with Iran,” so long as “they [Iran’s leaders] really mean what they are saying… But it will be important… for those statements to be matched by concrete steps and action.” The UK has not had a diplomatic presence in Iran since its embassy was stormed by a mob in November 2011.

Media speculation continues today that US President Obama could meet President Rouhani during the UN gathering this week. Last week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the world not to be fooled by Rouhani’s conciliatory rhetoric, saying “The Iranians are continuing to deceive so that the centrifuges continue spinning.” Indeed, last month’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report revealed that Iran continues to steadily grow its ability to enrich uranium. Several Israeli newspapers this morning report on the expected contents of Netanyahu’s speech to the UN General Assembly next week. Israel Radio news says that he will caution the international community against being deceived by Rouhani’s overtures and will draw heavily on a comparison between Iran and North Korea, which initially agreed to halt its nuclear programme, before carrying out its first nuclear test just a year later.