Iran ‘Will Be Held to Account’ over Agreement

Press Association: Iran will be closely monitored to ensure it sticks to an agreement to halt its uranium enrichment programme, Prime Minister Tony Blair said today. He said he hoped the deal would add to “progress” already made in reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction around the world. Speaking at his monthly press conference, Mr Blair said of the Iranian agreement: “France, Germany and Britain have been working very closely on this. Press Association

By Joe Churcher, PA Political Staff

Iran will be closely monitored to ensure it sticks to an agreement to halt its uranium enrichment programme, Prime Minister Tony Blair said today.

He said he hoped the deal would add to “progress” already made in reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction around the world.

Speaking at his monthly press conference, Mr Blair said of the Iranian agreement: “France, Germany and Britain have been working very closely on this.

“Our task has been to get the undertakings from Iran but to recognise that in the end we will have to make sure the right authority – in this case the Atomic Energy Authority – then make sure the undertakings they have given are actually adhered to.

“We have made some progress on the WMD issue: Libya has been a tremendous success in that context; Iran, let us hope that the undertakings are properly given and adhered to.

“The issue of North Korea is obviously extremely important; I’ll have a chance to talk about that with the president of the Korean Republic when I see him on Wednesday.

“But we will make sure we hold Iran to account.”

Mr Blair also expressed sympathy with pro-democracy campaigners in Iran and said he hoped “dialogue and pressure” could be used to promote basic freedoms across the globe.

“We support those who would like the same democratic rights as we have here,” he said.

“I hope that the UN panel that is looking at reform of the UN… that we do get to the stage where we start, as an international community, to put greater pressure on regimes for basic democratic human rights for people.

“Beyond that there’s a limit frankly to what we are able to do in any given situation.

“But I hope, by means of dialogue and pressure, we can get change. I sympathise with people in Iran and elsewhere who want the same freedoms we want.

“I have no doubt at all that in the end the best way to run a country is through democracy.”