British MP Denounces “Bad” US Iran Policy

The head of Britain-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group, Richard Bacon, reiterated London’s commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal and criticized the US administration’s hawkish policy toward Iran and the international pact.

“Washington has adopted a bad policy against Iran and should change it,” Bacon said in an interview with ICANA published on Friday. Britain and the United States, along with France, Russia and China plus Germany, collectively known as P5+1, brokered the pact with Iran to scale down its nuclear program in return for giving it relief from international sanctions.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has adopted a hawkish line on Iran since assuming office in January and seeks to police the deal more strictly.

Trump fell short of an electoral promise to tear up the accord but has vowed to “police that contract so tough they [the Iranians] don’t have a chance”.

His administration is working to fix what Trump aides have called “serious flaws” in the landmark deal that they say—if not resolved quickly—will likely lead Trump to pull out. Trump reluctantly certified to Congress Tehran’s compliance with the pact in July after repeated appeals from the senior members of his Cabinet.

Such certification is required every three months.

He appears bent on finding excuses to declare Tehran in violation in the next assessment in October and has ordered a broader White House review of Iran policy, expected to conclude in August.

  No Appetite for Anti-Tehran Rhetoric

In the latest sign of stepped-up US hostility toward Iran under Trump, the Republican hawk signed into law fresh sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its ballistic missile program and alleged support for terrorism and violation of human rights.

Trump’s anti-Iran moves and deal-bashing rhetoric, however, have been frowned upon by other signatories to the historic agreement.

“Britain has a positive approach toward the nuclear pact and views it as effective. We are also seeking to reap its benefits and to that end we will respect our commitments as a member of P5+1,” Bacon said.

He voiced Britain’s enthusiasm for closer cooperation with Iran, despite the US antagonistic stance evidenced by frequent rounds of new sanctions imposed on Iran over the past few months. These US sanctions, combined with non-nuclear restrictions that were not covered by the nuclear deal and include a ban on dollar-based transactions with Iranian businesses through Washington’s financial system, have hampered Iran’s efforts to revive its foreign trade.