Britain Calls Iran Suspension of Nuclear Deal Curbs 'Unwelcome Step'

Britain on Wednesday called Iran's decision to no longer respect the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers an "unwelcome step" that could lead to new Western sanctions.

"Today's announcement from Tehran is, I have to say to the House, an unwelcome step. We urge Iran not to take further escalatory steps and to stand by its commitments," Foreign Office minister Mark Field told parliament.

Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman later told reporters: "We are extremely concerned about this announcement."

"This deal is a crucial agreement which makes the world safer and we will ensure it remains in place for as long as Iran upholds these commitments," he said.

The spokesman said Britain would hold talks with its partners, particularly France and Germany, over next steps

Field said: "We are not at this stage talking about re-imposing sanctions, but one has to remember that they were, of course, lifted in exchange for the nuclear restrictions as part of that JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)."

Photo: Wikicommons

Israel Claims 'Underline Importance' of Iran Nuclear Deal: UK

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's presentation on Iran's nuclear program "underlines the importance" of the controls imposed on Tehran in the 2015 deal, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Tuesday.

"The Israeli prime minister's presentation on Iran's past research into nuclear weapons technology underlines the importance of keeping the Iran nuclear deal's constraints on Tehran's nuclear ambitions," Johnson said in a Foreign Office statement.

With US President Donald Trump weighing up whether to stay in the deal, Johnson insisted that the agreement was not "based on trust about Iran's intentions"—the core of Netanyahu's claims—"rather it is based on tough verification" by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

 "The fact that Iran conducted sensitive research in secret until 2003 shows why we need the intrusive inspections allowed by the Iran nuclear deal today," added Johnson. 

The 2015 deal negotiated between Iran and six world powers, including Britain, imposes nuclear inspections on Iran in return for the loosening of economic sanctions, but Trump is threatening to pull out.

Johnson insisted that the verification provisions in the deal "would make it harder for Iran to restart any such research."

"That is another good reason for keeping the deal while building on it in order to take account of the legitimate concerns of the US and our other allies," he added.

The Israeli premier has repeatedly called for the deal to be either altered or scrapped, but did not present evidence on Monday that Iran had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the deal was struck.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons