UK PM: Let's Do A 'Trump Deal' to Replace JCPOA
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday called on US President Donald Trump to replace the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers with his own new agreement.
“If we’re going to get rid of it, let’s replace it and let’s replace it with the Trump deal,” Johnson said of the international accord. “That would be a great way forward,” according to Reuters.
“I don’t want a military conflict between us, the United States and Iran, let’s dial this thing down,” Johnson said.
Iran has dismissed the idea of renegotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or holding talks for another nuclear deal.
On January 12, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin agreed to fight to the JCPOA after meeting in Moscow amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The German Chancellor said “everything must be done” to keep the agreement in place, despite calls from Trump to abandon it, while the Russian president described the deal as “tremendously important.”
The JCPOA is under pressure after Trump pulled out of it last year, triggering Iran's decision to intensify its enrichment of uranium.
“We agreed that we should do anything to preserve the deal, the JCPOA. Germany is convinced that Iran should not acquire or have nuclear weapons,” Merkel said during a joint press conference with Putin.
“For this reason, we will continue to employ all diplomatic means to keep this agreement alive, which is certainly not perfect but it is an agreement and it comprises commitments by all sides,” Merkel said.
Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, stressing that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The European Union has said that it will “spare no effort” to keep the 2015 deal alive despite Trump’s call to abandon it.
“It’s not dead, we have to bring it back to life,” Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said of the deal earlier this week.
