The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
UK and EU on collision course with US over Iran sanctions
Split comes after America’s decision to quit nuclear deal
The government will “certainly” stand up to US President Donald Trump over his administration’s sanctions on Iran, the minister of state for the Middle East has said.
Alistair Burt said the Iran nuclear deal was an important part of “not only the region’s security but the world’s security”.
But President Trump issued a warning for countries trading with Iran, tweeting: “Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!”
Mr Burt’s comments came as the UK and EU announced they will take immediate action to block the impact of US sanctions, which came into force on Monday after President Trump backed out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt issued a joint statement with EU foreign ministers on their “determination to protect” European businesses working with Iranian companies.
Asked if Britain would go along with the US and impose sanctions as well, Mr Burt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “No, we made it clear when the US announced its proposed position a little while ago that we regard the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the nuclear deal, as an important part of not only the region’s security but the world’s security.”
Asked if the government would stand up to the US, he went on: “As far as a disagreement with President Trump on this is concerned, they can certainly expect the UK to do this.”
Ambassador John Limbert, one of the US embassy officials in Tehran who was held captive in 1979 and went on to help negotiate the 2015 deal under former US President Barack Obama, said the US administration was interested in a “surrender” from Iran. Asked if the nuclear deal is dead, he said: “It depends on how much the Trump administration can bully the Europeans to go along with sanctions and to go along with pulling out of at least part of the deal.”