TEHRAN – Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said that the British government is under pressure from Americans and Israelis as well as Saudis and Emiratis over its relations with Iran.

Straw made the remarks in an interview with IRNA in London, which was published on Monday.

He noted that the British government’s stance towards Iran is different from that of the U.S. “Our Prime Minister, Theresa May, made that clear when she visited President Trump very early in his administration.”

Pointing to the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA, which was signed between Iran and six world powers, Straw said his country supports the deal and that all the public statements and speeches by ministers and what is said on the government websites make that clear.

“The British government is under pressure from the Americans and also there is a lobby here which includes the Saudis as well as the Israelis and the Emirates to try to ensure that Britain doesn’t get too far in its relations with Iran because of the regional rivalry across the Persian Gulf,” he said.

Straw said he believed U.S. pressure would not change the British government’s fundamental policy and support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

“The government has signed to this,” he said. “Although the head of the Conservative party changed, but Theresa May was a member of that cabinet.”

The former British foreign secretary further said that there have been significant improvements over the last twelve months on the trade and investment between the two countries.

The 42 percent increase in recorded trade between Iran and Britain plays down “the real increase in trade because so much of trade involved in British firms is actually happening outside UK banking system,” he stressed.

“For example Airbus, significant proportion of what goes into any Airbus plane is made in the UK. But it would be registered in the statistics in France.”

On whether the upcoming UK election will change its position towards the nuclear agreement, Straw said, “I don’t think it is going to change.”

“The opinion polls at the moment suggest that Conservatives will win. If they do, then the existing policy will continue; if there were a non-Conservative government led by the Labour, then the JCPOA will certainly continue and it might be slightly easier to get some change on the banking front.”

MH/PA