Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (Rob Pinney/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)Liz Truss has admitted she hoped the UK could soon pay off its debt to Iran during a phone call with her Iranian counterpart, it has been reported.
Ms Truss held a call with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) confirmed to the Standard.
During the call, the pair discussed the future release of British nationals held in the state and the Vienna nuclear talks.
A FCDO spokesperson told the Standard: “We continue to explore options as a matter of urgency to resolve this case.”
On Monday, the pair also discussed the £400million debt the UK owes Iran which dates back to the sale of tanks in the 1970s, an Iranian account - reported by The Guardian - of the call stated.
While not confirming the discussion of the debt to Iran, the Foreign Office insisted it is committed to paying off the debt.
Both states have also claimed the outstanding debt is not related to the detention of three British-Iranians: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Mehran Raoof, and Anoosheh Ashoori.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, was jailed in 2016 after Iranian officials accused her of plotting to oust the regime.
She was temporarily released in 2020 but was given a further sentence and has been under house arrest in Tehran in 2021.
Earlier this month, MPs were told an agreement had been signed with Iran but that it had fallen through at the last minute.
Her husband, Richard had also enacted a hunger strike in order to increase pressure on the Government to secure his wife’s release.
Earlier this month, Ms Truss said: “We do want to pay this debt, we recognise it’s a legitimate debt.
“But of course, there are lots of issues, which I’m sure you are quite well aware of.”
