Theresa May makes final plea for Donald Trump to keep the Iran nuclear deal
The PM made the plea after the president repeatedly denounced the landmark deal
THERESA May last night made an 11th hour bid to persuade Donald Trump not to pull the plug on the Iran nuclear deal.
The PM’s latest plea came in a phone call just days before the US President is expected to pull out of the landmark 2015 deal that saw Iran agree to give up its nuclear weapons programmes in return for the lifting of economic sanctions.
Last month Mr Trump rebuffed similar calls from Mrs May and other world leaders at a UN meeting in New York.
He repeatedly denounced the deal during his election campaign.
But making another attempt to change the President’s mind, the PM told him the deal was “vitally important for regional security”.
Mrs May reaffirmed the UK’s “strong commitment” to the arrangement - insisting it was “vitally important for regional security”.
And she promised to ensure the deal was “carefully monitored and properly enforced” if he did change his mind.
Earlier yesterday Foreign Secretary phoned his US counterpart Rex Tillerson to act as the middle man between the US and Iran.
He conceded that Tehran had destabilised relations in the Middle East but said the nuclear deal should be treated as a separate issue.
He said: “The nuclear deal was a crucial agreement that neutralised its nuclear threat. The UK supports the deal and stresses the importance of all parties continuing to uphold their commitments.
“We have made no bones about our deep concern at Iran’s destabilising regional activity, including its ballistic missile programme, but I remain steadfast in my view that the nuclear deal was an historic achievement that has undoubtedly made the world a safer place.
“It was the culmination of 13 years of painstaking diplomacy and has increased security, both in the region and in the UK. It is these security implications that we continue to encourage the US to consider.”
