Britain orders office to close

Press, 25 September 1987, Page 6

Britain orders office to close

NZPA-Reuter London Britain’s decision to order the closing of Iran’s arms-buying office in London was seen on Thursday as a bid to hasten an international arms embargo against Teheran. The Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, announced the move in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday and said it was precipitated by Iran’s attack on the British flag tanker Gentle Breeze in the Gulf earlier this week.

“I can announce today that we have decided to close down the operations of the Iranian military procurement offices in London. For us, the cynical attack on the Gentle Breeze was the last straw.

“We think that it’s most important to take every step we can to deprive the people who are determined to carry on this war of the supply of weapons in any way and we think this will make a contribution,” Sir Geoffrey told the British Broadcasting Corporation later. British officials said that the move was a clear signal of London’s determination to staunch the flow of arms to the Gulf, but the Iranian President, Ali Khamenei, told reporters at the United Nations before Sir Geoffrey’s speech that any move to close the office was “not at all of substantial importance.” A Foreign Office

spokesman said the Iranian charge d’affaires, Akhonzadeh Basti, was summoned to the Foreign Office and told that the Teheran-based staff of the arms office would have to leave Britain by October 8.

About 30 to 50 officials, including military personnel, were expected to be deprived of their residence and work permits and sent home, the spokesman said. The office, in a building housing the National Iranian Oil Company in central London, was set up in 1981 to acquire weapons for Iran’s war against Iraq. Two thirds of Iran’s arms are thought to be purchased through the office.