European MPs urge US Congress to pressure Trump on Iran

More than 300 British, French and German parliamentarians on Thursday urged the US Congress to support a landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal or risk “devastating” consequences.

Six powers – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US – negotiated the deal to lift sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear programme. But in January, President Donald Trump delivered an ultimatum to the EU countries, saying they must “fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal” or he would refuse to extend US sanctions relief.

In a statement published in the Guardian, Der Spiegel, the

New York Times and Le Monde,

MPs asked Congress to send a message to the Iranian people ahead of the president’s May 12 deadline threat to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

MPs argued that the shortterm effect of the US abandonment would be the end of controls on Iran’s nuclear programme, “resulting in another source of devastating conflict in the Middle East and beyond”.

“Abandoning the deal would diminish the value of any promises or threats made by our countries,” the MPs wrote.

Iran has ruled out renegotiating the deal.

US disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said discussions with the three European powers were “intense” ahead of the May 12 deadline.

The US is pushing for broader terms under which inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency can visit Iranian sites.

Iran said it will “shred” the deal if Washington pulls out.