US ambassador appeals to Britain to back Trump’s policy on Iran

AMERICA’S AMBASSADOR in London has issued a call for the UK to join Donald Trump in putting pressure on Iran.

Britain and its European allies responded with dismay to Mr Trump’s decision in May to pull out of the 2015 deal which relieved sanctions on Tehran in re- turn to an end to Iran’s military nuclear ambitions.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt joined with his French and German counterparts last week to voice their “deep regret” at Washington’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and vow to pro- tect European companies from US reprisals if they continue to trade with Iran.

London has made clear it is committed to the JCPOA but is open to talking to the US about ways to address shared concerns about Iran’s regional activities.

On Tuesday, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt said that the US had “not got this right” and Britain was ready to stand up to Mr Trump, telling the BBC: “Sometimes you need to take a stand against friends.”

But Ambassador Woody Johnson urged the UK to rethink its position. In an article in the

he said: “It is time to move on from the flawed 2015 deal.

“We are asking global Britain to use its considerable diplomatic power and influence and join us as we lead a concerted global effort towards a genuinely comprehensive agreement.”

Mr Johnson said the Tehran regime had used the flow of money coming into the country since the easing of sanctions not to improve the lives of ordinary Iranians but to beef up spending on the military and networks of proxy forces and terrorists.