TEHRAN – The British ambassador to Tehran says his country is doing everything possible to prevent the collapse of the nuclear deal, stressing that the U.S. and Iran would be “making a mistake” if they pull out of the international agreement.

Iran has threatened to resume its nuclear activities even with a greater speed if the Trump administration abrogates the nuclear pact.

“I hope that the U.S. won’t withdraw,” said Nicholas Hopton in his last press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, in response to a question on the possibility of a U.S. withdrawal from the deal.

“We, the UK, are doing everything possible to explain to our American partners why the deal is an important part of international and regional security mechanism and should be maintained.”

He said the British government will remain fully committed to the deal – also called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – in order to ensure its successful implementation.

The JCPOA was reached in Vienna on 14 July 2015 between Iran, six world powers – the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, China plus Germany – and the European Union. Under the pact, Iran put some restriction on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. 

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to exit the JCPOA, calling it “the worst deal ever”. However, the other parties to the nuclear deal, including Britain, have taken a separate path from that of the U.S. president, and warned him of the consequences of ripping the deal.

“The British government’s position is very clear, and my Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have made this public and very clear,” Johnson said.

“We will continue to be fully committed to the success and the implementation of the Barjam, the JCPOA, so long as Iran also fully respects its commitments to the JCPOA.”

Through his repeated attacks on the nuclear agreement, Trump has prevented Tehran from reaping the economic benefits of the deal.

Officials in Tehran have warned that Iran will “startle” the U.S. with its response, should Washington decide to withdraw from the JCPOA.

“This (JCPOA) is a very important diplomatic agreement and it is in the benefits of everyone that it continues to work.”

Reports are circulating that Iran may even quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Trump sabotages the agreement.
 
“I think it would be a mistake for Iran to pull out of the deal, because I think this is the best deal for all the parties, including the United States and Iran,” the British ambassador remarked.

“I also think it would be a pity and a mistake if the Americans withdrew from the nuclear deal,” he said. “Of course, these are decisions for those governments.”

He added, “We’re talking to all the parties to the agreement, all our partners, trying to make the JCPOA work, trying to keep it going and to ensure that everybody maintains their commitments to the deal and that the benefits of the deal are felt fully by both the international community, in regard to Iran’s controls on not seeking a nuclear weapon, and on the other side, that Iran and the Iranian people can fully feel the benefits from sanctions lift due to the JCPOA.”

He further said the UK is playing a strong role in preserving the nuclear agreement by engaging all of its partners and making its position on the deal “very clear”.

“We have explained to our American partners that the best interests of everybody is served by the continuation of the JCPOA, this is a very important diplomatic agreement and it is in the benefits of everyone that it continues to work,” he added.

Ambassador Hopton says Iran has an important role to play in Yemen

On the UK’s role in Yemen, the ambassador said, “The British government is doing everything possible to find a way to bring the international community back to the political process in Yemen under the UN umbrella, which will lead to a more peaceful and stable Yemen.”

He also praised the recently appointed UN Secretary General Special Envoy Martin Griffiths for making a “strong start” by talking to the main actors, saying a lot of countries, including Iran, have an important role to play in Yemen.

Iran can use “its influence with the Houthi to stop missile strikes from Yemen onto Saudi Arabia, which are illegal under UN Security Council resolutions 2231 and 2216,” he added.

British diplomat defends attack on Syria 

On the legitimacy of the U.S., Britain and France’s recent raid in Syria, the ambassador claimed the action was “legitimate” and “proportionate”. He said the missiles only targeted chemical weapons facilities of the Syrian government.

On April 14, the three Western states launched a barrage of missile attacks against Syria in response to an alleged chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma by Damascus on April 7.

Syria had rejected any role in the suspected chemical attack. Iran and Russia also rejected the allegations, with Moscow saying the chemical attack was staged by desperate militants to provoke further intervention in the conflict by the West.

“We needed to take action decisively and swiftly in a proportionate way,” Hopton said. “So we struck chemical weapons facilities and that was defensible.”

Asked if Iran and Britain were able to find some common ground on the Syrian issue, he said, “I’m pleased that the Iranian authorities consistently make clear that they also condemn the use of chemical weapons, I know how badly the Iranian people suffered at the end of the Iran-Iraq war from the use of chemical weapons by Iraq.”

MH/PA