May disagrees with Trump, says Iran honoring JCPOA

British Prime Minister Theresa May said Iran has honored the multilateral agreement, adding that the deal should remain in place, in sharp contrast with US policy under President Donald Trump who has pulled America out of the deal.

“From what we see, we believe that it is doing that,” May told “CBS This Morning” cohost John Dickerson in an interview Friday when asked if Iran has been abiding by the agreement. She said that the question of Iran’s adherence to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is “an area where I do have a difference of opinion” with Trump, USA Today reported.

May said that Britain and the other nations that worked on the JPCOA believe “it should stay in place.” Keeping the deal in place will mean Britain and the other signatures will not adhere to some US sanctions on Iran and that companies from those countries can conduct business with Iran.

The British prime minister’s interview came as world leaders are gearing up for weeklong high-stakes diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump announced in May that Washington was pulling out of the JCPOA, which lifted nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. The deal had been signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

The US administration reintroduced the previous sanctions while imposing new ones on the Islamic Republic.

It also introduced punitive measures – known as secondary sanctions – against third countries doing business with Iran.

A first round of American sanctions took effect in August, targeting Iran’s access to the US dollar, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and auto sector. A second round, forthcoming on November 4, will be targeting Iran’s oil sales and its Central Bank.

Despite Washington’s withdrawal, Iran has not left the deal yet, but stressed that the remaining signatories to the agreement now had to work to offset the negative impacts of the US pullout for Iran if they wanted Tehran to remain in it.

Other parties to the JCPOA have repeatedly announced that the deal is working and should stay in place.