Ambassador Woody Johnson has challenged the UK to abandon its European
neighbours who back the 2015 international deal to constrain Iran's
development of nuclear capabilities in return for trade with Iran.
Johnson said on Sunday that Britain should join forces with America to
enforce the US president's hard-hitting sanctions. He also delivered an
explicit ultimatum to British companies, telling then to stop doing
business with Iran or face "serious consequences" for their trade with
the US.
The comments are a direct challenge to Prime Minister Theresa May's
minority Conservative government, days after a minister point-blank
refused to go along with Trump's sanctions on Tehran and keep the
nuclear agreement alive.
They also come six days after Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, signed
a joint statement with the EU which promised to push ahead with
blocking the impact of the sanctions on European businesses. Johnson's
comments escalate the tensions over what is the first test of the
so-called special relationship between the US and UK since Trump's visit
to the UK last month.
Britain negotiated the original Iran deal in 2015 with France,
Germany, China, Russia and the US in a process coordinated by the
European Union. The Tehran regime agreed to curb its nuclear program in
return for the lifting of sanctions.
But Trump pulled out of the
deal, which was struck by his predecessor Barack Obama, three months ago
because Trump believes it is not stopping Iran from meddling the Middle
East. Hard-hitting economic sanctions were reimposed last week with
more to come in November.
Note EU-Digest: Hopefully Britain will not cave in to the bullying
tactics of Trump, instead reurn to the welcoming arms of the EU in a
new Brexit referendum.Like was said before, getting out of the EU for
any member will mean losing your EU "security blanket" in standing up
against the "big powers".
Read more: US demands Britain back Trump with Iran sanctions
