The British Museum has informed Iran in a letter that a delegation will be sent to Tehran to discuss the loaning of the Achaemenid Cyrus cylinder to Iran.

The clay Cyrus Cylinder is inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform with an account by Cyrus II, king of Persia (559-530 BC) and is considered as the world's first charter of human rights.

The ancient cylinder was scheduled to be given to Iran on loan in September; however, citing Iran's post-election disputes the British Museum backed out of the agreement.

Tehran said that it would cease cooperation with the British Museum until the Cylinder is loaned to the National Museum of Iran.

Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) Hamid Baqaei announced on Thursday that Tehran had received a letter from London in which the British side expressed its desire to follow the deal.

“Iran has warned to cease scientific and cultural cooperation with Britain if the UK fails to loan the Achaemenid Cyrus cylinder to Iran within two months,” Baqei said.

“After we gave a two-month time deadline for London to loan the ancient clay cylinder to Iran, the director of the British Museum Neil Macgregor wrote a letter to us saying they would send a delegation to Tehran to review the deal,” he added.

“We take this as a good sign that the British Museum can differentiate between politics and culture,” Baqaei said.

NAT/HGH