John Baron MP questions Foreign Secretary on need to adhere to agreement with Iran

MP condemns President Trump’s reckless decision

Today in the House of Commons, the Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, gave a Statement following President Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Deal, in which he affirmed the UK’s commitment to the agreement and described how the Government is striving, alongside its other signatories, to uphold the terms of the deal.

In the Chamber, John asked,

“This is a region where we should not underestimate the importance of maintaining a positive direction of travel – achieving all desired outcomes will require a series of steps. Given that Iran has abided by this agreement so far, has the time come for the international community to unite in maintaining this agreement, even if this means isolating the US?’

The Foreign Secretary replied that there would be no advantage in isolating the United States, and that bringing it back into the deal is the Government’s priority.

Afterwards, John said,

“The Iran nuclear deal is a landmark of international diplomacy, involving cooperation between Western nations and Russia and China, which has done much to reduce tensions in the Middle East and more widely. The British Government is right to uphold the terms of the agreement, and must make clear to the Trump Administration that they are risking diplomatic isolation by this decision.”

“President Trump’s decision risks serious consequences. The agreement was not meant to cover all aspects of Iran’s foreign policy, but it did stop the country militarising a nuclear capability. This gain now risks being lost. The tensions of 2012, before the deal was agreed, when there was a realistic possibility of conflict between the West and Iran, could now return if the deal is allowed to fail.”

Notes to Editors:

• For more information, please see John’s article for Conservative Home: https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2017/10/john-baron-trumps-iran-decision-has-an-alarming-north-korean-dimension.html.