Sir Richard Dalton, the former UK Ambassador to Iran, and Dr Ali Ansari were the two guest speakers at a packed CMEC Policy Forum event entitled ‘Iran and the West in 2012.’
Both speakers agreed that sanctions on their own were unlikely to break any stalemate between Iran and the West. Dr Ansari focused on Iran’s internal politics which he described as fractured and criticised their tendency to procrastinate on decisions. Dr Ansari also predicted a bleak short term future for relations with the UK due to Iranian intransigence.
Sir Richard called for a nuanced approach to negotiations with the UK needing to be more flexible in their discussions with Iran. He was critical of the UK’s decision to withdraw its diplomats from Tehran following the Embassy siege and questioned the wisdom of the Government’s policy of isolation.
The event was attended by a large number of Conservative MPs and Peers and members of the Iranian diaspora.
