U.S. Urges Britain to Ditch Iran Nuclear Deal

Date: 12 August 2018 - 21:50

News ID: ۵۶۲۳۶

LONDON (Dispatches) -- The United States urged Britain Sunday to ditch its support for a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and instead join forces with Washington against Tehran.
Despite opposition from European allies, U.S. President Trump in May pulled the United States out of a deal between world powers and Tehran under which sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear energy program.
Since then, Britain, France and Germany have sought to keep the deal alive, while Trump has prepared new sanctions, which Iran has denounced as "U.S. unilateralism."
U.S. Ambassador to Britain Woody Johnson criticized Tehran, saying Iran needed to make tangible and sustained changes to its policies.
"Until then, America is turning up the pressure and we want the UK by our side," Johnson wrote in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
"It is time to move on from the flawed 2015 deal. We are asking global Britain to use its considerable diplomatic power and influence and join us as we lead a concerted global effort towards a genuinely comprehensive agreement."
Asked about Johnson's article, the British foreign office pointed to comments from Middle East minister Alistair Burt, who last week ruled out Britain going along with the United States.
Burt said the deal was an important part of regional security and that, with the European Union, the government was trying to protect British companies from the U.S. sanctions when dealing with Iran.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said last week that Trump's repudiation of the nuclear deal was illegal and Iran would not yield to Washington's renewed campaign to strangle Iran's vital oil exports.