Trump making mistake about Iran: U.K. Trade Envoy to Iran

EghtesadOnline: UK Trade Envoy to Iran Lord Norman Lamont told Bloomberg that Donald Trump’s statements about Iran during his trip to KSA and the Occupied Palestine was a mistake and that Iran deserved a better reaction from the West.

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28 May 2017

Talking to Bloomberg, Lamont said, “President Rouhani was quite outspoken during the election campaign not just about getting trade and investment into Iran but also about improving relations with the outside world.”

Saying that Rouhani specifically mentioned Saudi Arabia, and stressed that there is no need for this tremendous enmity between the two, he added, “I felt it was sad really that President Trump could not even acknowledge when he was in Saudi Arabia what President Rouhani had said.”

Answering a question about the way to deal with Iran, he said that Iran deserves a better reaction from the West, IRNA reported.

Lord Lamont said, “No attention is paid to the insecurity of Iran, a country which has been invaded by its Arab neighbor in the past, and yet the West goes on pouring arms to the enemies of Iran. We’ve got to look at this with a little bit more understanding of the Iranian position.”

The UK politician commented that Trump’s stance toward Iran is a mistake, adding that Iran keeps Trump’s behavior under close attention. Trump is trying to unite Sunni-majority states and Israel against Iran, which is a dangerous policy.

Lamont said that he doesn’t mean the behavior toward Iran should be an indifferent one, but when Iran takes a constructive step, it deserves more appropriate reaction.

He said the US president should try to assure Iran that not only doesn’t the West seek regime change in Iran, but it calls for better ties.

Answering a question about Iran’s president’s reaction against Trump’s stance, the UK Trade Envoy to Iran said he thinks that President Rouhani will act with caution.

Rouhani has promised to terminate other non-nuclear sanctions on Iran; and this means he has to negotiate with Europe and the US directly to do so. It’s a tough task, but he has promised it, said Lamont.