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News > World

UK, Germany, France Will Uphold Iran Nuclear Deal

  •  Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is flanked by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel before their trilateral meeting at the European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2018.

    Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is flanked by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel before their trilateral meeting at the European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2018. | Photo: Reuters

Published 9 May 2018
Opinion

"Together, we emphasize our continuing commitment to the JCPOA," a statement said.

After Donald Trump's catastrophic decision of pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, several world leaders and peace activists have come forward to pledge their support for the agreement and call for its continuation.

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Officially known as the Joint Cooperation Plan of Action (JCPOA) and signed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and China in 2015 the deal allowed the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency could regularly inspect Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump's decision of pulling out has caused an uproar and concern among other signatories of the Iran Nuclear Deal with Britain, France, and Germany issuing a rare joint statement in response to the move. The trio expressed "regret and concern" over Trump's decision and urged the U.S. to keep the structures of the agreement "intact."   

"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," the statement said. "Together, we emphasize 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,” the statement continued. “This resolution remains the binding international legal framework for the resolution of the dispute about the Iranian nuclear program. We urge all sides to remain committed to its full implementation and to act in a spirit of responsibility." 

In a public event Tuesday Trump denounced the deal and signed the highest sanction against Iran, his speech also contained threatening undertones.  

"The Iranian regime is the leading state sponsor of terror. It exports dangerous missiles, fuels conflicts across the Middle East, and supports terrorist proxies and militias such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban and Al Qaeda," the U.S. President claimed. 

"The United States no longer makes empty threats. When I make promises, I keep them." Trump said. "Powerful sanction also go into full effect. If the regime continues its nuclear aspirations, it will have bigger problems than it has ever had before." 

Germany's Angela Merkel said in a statement that Iran's nuclear deal "should never be called into question" and vowed on Wednesday that Germany, France, and Britain would "do everything" to ensure that Iran remains in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. 

UK's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, also said that "Britain has no intention of walking away. The U.S. decision makes no difference to the British assessments" as the country's national security depends on it. 

A Downing Street spokesperson said Tuesday night, "The Prime Minister held a joint telephone call with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this evening, where they discussed the US President’s announcement and agreed their continuing commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action."  

RELATED:
Trump Hired Israeli Spies to 'Find Dirt' on US Officials Behind Iran Nuclear Deal

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran won't uphold the nuclear deal without 'solid' European guarantees. 
“You heard last night that the president of America made some silly and superficial comments. He had maybe more than ten lies in his comments," Khamenei said. 

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani also denounced the US decision, saying,  "From now on, this is an agreement between Iran and five countries [...] we have to wait and see how others react, if we come to the conclusion that with cooperation with the five countries we can keep what we wanted despite Israeli and American efforts, [it] can survive."

Soon after the US announcement, Iran also ceased its business operations with the U.S.-based Boeing which was allowed to do business with Iran after the Iran Nuclear Deal was signed in 2015. Trump's decision will cost Boeing US$ 20 billion worth of contracts.

“We will consult with the U.S. Government on next steps. As we have throughout this process, we’ll continue to follow the U.S. Government’s lead,” Gordon Johndroe, VP of Boeing’s Government Operations Communications, told Gizmodo.  

The U.S. government plans to give a 3-6 month window for companies that are currently doing business with Iran to pull out of their deals.

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