Hatami made the remarks in reaction to recent comments by his British counterpart Ben Wallace who has stressed the necessity to pay a debt to the Iranian government.
The UK debt to Iran arose from the non-delivery of 1,500 Chieftain tanks and 250 other armored vehicles ordered by the then Shah of Iran before his overthrow in 1979.
The Iranian minister said that there has always been a distance between the stands taken by British officials and their practical resolve.
Referring to court rulings and contractual obligations, Hatami said that the restrictions arising from arbitrary sanctions are not the main reason for the non-payment of the UK debt.
He said that the Iranian nation wants the British government to settle the issue through mechanisms previously discussed by both sides.
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