U.K. Will Seek to Soften Trump Opposition to Iran Nuclear Deal

EghtesadOnline: U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he’ll seek to work with the administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to “make a success” of the 2015 Iran deal.

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22 November 2016

According to Bloomberg, Trump criticized the deal during his election campaign and has chosen opponents of the agreement to fill senior positions in his White House team, leading to uncertainty about its future. In a speech on March 21, he said both that he would scrap the deal and strictly enforce it.

“The government remains committed to the nuclear deal in Iran and we look forward to working with the new administration in the United States to make it a success,” Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons in London on Tuesday. “We in this country, in this government, do think there’s merit in the deal,” he said. “We should be positive about our engagement and keep it on the road.”

Britain has reopened its embassy in Tehran and is developing its relations, Johnson said, adding that Vodafone Group Plc and Lotus Cars Ltd. have reached trade agreements in Iran since the accord, which set limits on nuclear development in return for relief from economic sanctions.

“There’s been a great increase in trade since the sanctions were lifted,” Johnson said. Britain’s ambassador is “using the opportunity to develop our relationship with Iran,” he said.

To renegotiate the deal, Trump would need the cooperation of Iran and the other signatories -- China, France, Russia, Germany, the U.K. and the European Union -- though he could sabotage it by introducing new U.S. sanctions.