By Staff, IRNA After 43 years, the British government paid back its 390-million-pound debt to Iran on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The debt included the main part of the prepayment and its interest, which Iran had given to Britain for Chieftain Tanks that had not been delivered to Iran.

According to verdict of International Chamber of Commerce [ICC] in 1990 and 1996, the UK had been made to pay back its debt while the main part of Iran's prepayment to Britain was confirmed by the high court in that country in 2019.

However, Britain did not pay it back under the pretext of the European Union sanctions.

An informed source said the debt is now in the Central Bank of Iran’s account and available for the country.

First, the payback of UK debt to Iran was transferred to Central Bank of Oman, then the Omani bank shifted it to the CBI’s account.

Reportedly, some western media started disseminating reports as of Tuesday morning to connect Nazanin Zaghari’s freedom to the progress achieved in Iran-Britain negotiations on clearing Britain old debt to Iran, which the Islamic Republic refuted.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Iran collected its overdue debt from the UK in a dignified manner, and the repayment of the debt was not in any way related to other issues between the two countries