UK to reaffirm commitment to Iran deal

November 10, 2017 - 19:23

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is visiting Washington this week and meet senior members of U.S. Congress to underline UK’s commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Speaking at the start of his visit, Johnson said that it is vital for the international community to stick to the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the UK Foreign Ministry website reported on Wednesday.

In 2 days of meetings on Capitol Hill, the Foreign Secretary will meet with Speaker Paul Ryan, House and Senate Majority Leaders Representative McCarthy and Senator McConnell, and the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees, Senators Corker and Cardin, and Representatives Royce and Engel.

In his new Iran strategy declared on October 13, Trump decertified the nuclear deal and asked Congress to decide about the fate of the agreement. Congress now has to decide whether to reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under the deal. Trump said if Congress does nothing he himself will terminate the deal.

The nuclear deal was signed by Iran, the European Union, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia in July 2015. The agreement went into effect in January 2016.

NA/SP