Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

• I AM appalled to hear that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is to be put on trial on another charge, as yet unspecified, (Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe told she faces new trial in Iran, confirms MP, September 8).

The Iranian government give the appearance of having something useful and therefore hanging on to it to milk it for what it’s worth.

But our Ministry of Defence need to look to their own moral standards. As I believe, we tendered for the supply of battle tanks, won the order and received a down-payment of £400million.

For whatever reason, we were unable or unwilling to complete the order and have refused either to supply the vehicles or refund the deposit. This would seem to me to be indistinguishable from theft.

I daresay this is connected to the United States and or international sanctions. Nonetheless withholding the sum is beyond the pale.

In view of the fact that the sum won’t make a blind bit of difference to the regime, since it amounts to one-thousandth of their gross domestic product, conditional on the release of Nazanin, this sum should be returned to the Iranian exchequer with a carefully worded apology for how the sum has been handled.

PETER RUTHERFORD
Pandora Road, NW6