Theresa May condemns Donald Trump as US President axes 'rotten' Iran nuclear deal
Theresa May has joined the leaders of France and Germany to condemn Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal in the face of strong opposition from European nations.
Despite a frantic diplomatic push by the UK, Paris and Berlin to convince the US President not to ditch the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Mr Trump tonight blasted the "decaying and rotten" deal and said he would restart tough economic sanctions on Tehran that have been halted since 2015.
Iranian President Hassan Rohauni swiftly condemned the decision, and said he had "ordered the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran to be ready to start the enrichment of uranium at industrial levels".
In a joint statement, May, French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to continue to abide by the terms of the deal, which has seen Iran slash its stockpile of uranium in return for the lifting of Western economic curbs.
They said: "It is with regret and concern that we, the Leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom take note of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States of America from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"Together, we emphasise our continuing commitment to the JCPoA. This agreement remains important for our shared security. We recall that the JCPoA was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council in resolution 2231. This resolution remains the binding international legal framework for the resolution of the dispute about the Iranian nuclear programme. We urge all sides to remain committed to its full implementation and to act in a spirit of responsibility."
Trump has previously lamented the Iranian deal over its so-called 'sunset clauses', which see the restrictions on Tehran's programme expire after a certain period of time. He has also criticised Iran's continued - but separate - development of ballistic missiles.
In their statement, however, the three European leaders said nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency had independently verified Iran's continued compliance with the terms of the deal.
"Therefore we, the E3, will remain parties to the JCPoA," they said. "Our governments remain committed to ensuring the agreement is upheld, and will work with all the remaining parties to the deal to ensure this remains the case including through ensuring the continuing economic benefits to the Iranian people that are linked to the agreement."
May, Macron and Merkel also urged the US administration to "ensure that the structures of the JCPoA can remain intact" and called on Mr Trump "to do everything possible to preserve the gains for nuclear non-proliferation brought about by the JCPoA".
The US President's decision - which follows a frantic last-minute lobbying effort by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in a bid to preserve the deal - was slammed as a "reckless, senseless and immoral act of diplomatic sabotage" by Labour.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry warned: "If the nuclear deal is torn up, we not only destroy that platform for future progress, we risk triggering a rapid nuclear arms race in the Middle East, we risk the hardline theocrats seizing all the reins of power in Tehran, and we risk the descent into an unimaginable conflict with Iran, a country nine times the size of Syria, with a population as big as Germany's.
"Donald Trump is taking all those risks without a single care, without the slightest justification, and without the simplest rational thought as to what will come next."
The SNP also condemned the "reckless unilateral declaration" by the US President, with foreign affairs spokesman Stephen Gethin calling on the UK to work with allies to "safeguard the important advances that have been made".
And, in a swipe at the Foreign Secretary, Gethin added: “Boris Johnson’s bumbling attempts to appeal to President Trump via the medium of Fox News have failed. The UK government must use our special relationship to engage seriously with the US, and our international partners, on this crucial issue.”
Johnson yesterday said the US President deserved to win a Nobel Peace Prize if he could iron out issues with the Iran nuclear deal.
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