UK-Iran ties could improve under Rohani: Hague

TEHRAN,July 18(MNA) – The UK will respond to any moves by Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani to improve ties, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said as he announced that Britons are no longer advised against travel to Iran under any circumstances, according to Bloomberg. “We will respond in good faith to positive action by Iran,” Hague told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in London on Tuesday, asked whether Rohani’s election provided an opportunity. “We are ready to improve our relations on a step-by-step basis.” The British foreign secretary withdrew British diplomats and shuttered the Tehran embassy after it was attacked in 2011 by a mob, which he claimed had the backing of the government. Iranian diplomats in London were also expelled. The Foreign Office amended its travel advice on Iran on its website on Tuesday, dropping a recommendation not to travel anywhere in the country. “We assess the risks to British nationals have reduced,” Hague told the panel. Rohani won more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round of Iran’s presidential election in June to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rohani pledged after winning to make Iran’s nuclear program more transparent, seeking to ease tension with the U.S. and reduce sanctions that have affected the economy. Rohani, who takes office in August, said last month he’s committed to his campaign promise to pursue a constructive foreign policy. “Moderation in foreign policy doesn’t mean surrender or conflict; it doesn’t mean passivity or confrontation; but rather effective and constructive interaction with the world,” he said on state television on June 29.