Britain and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to Iran's nuclear deal and the need for full implementation.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said in Berlin on Friday that she and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had agreed during their talks to work to preserve the deal, which has been put in jeopardy by US President Donald Trump, Reuters reported.
Trump gave the nuclear agreement a final reprieve on January 12 but warned European allies and the US Congress they have to work with him to fix "the disastrous flaws" in the pact or face a US exit.
The US administration has also been trying to persuade the European nations that negotiated the agreement to accept side deals under which they would join the US in reimposing sanctions if Tehran continues ballistic missile testing.
The British prime minister said London shares the concerns of Washington about Iranian activities in the Middle East and is ready to take further action against Tehran.
"We … share the US concerns about Iran's destabilizing activity in the Middle East, and we stand ready to take further appropriate measures to tackle these issues," May told reporters.
***Int'l Surveillance
In a bid to get tougher on Tehran while preserving the nuclear accord, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday Iran's ballistic missile program must be placed under international surveillance.
Citing Iranian influence in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, Macron contended that Tehran's foreign policy can sometimes be "a factor of destabilization".
Iran has repeatedly said its missile program is purely defensive and non-negotiable and has dismissed accusations that its regional activities are destabilizing.
However, he said France, one of the signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal, wanted to preserve it as nothing better had been offered.
The UN-endorsed agreement, signed under former US president Barack Obama to offer sanctions relief in exchange for scaling down Tehran's nuclear development, was negotiated by Iran, the US, China, France, Russia, Britain, Germany, and the European Union. Tehran denies the charge that its nuclear work might have had any military dimensions.
***Iran's Role
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Monday that London was concerned at Iran's role after anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane on February 10, which Israel claimed was returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria.
Iran, which is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main regional ally, denied any involvement in the incident, reiterating that its presence in the Arab country is only advisory and it has no conventional force on the ground.
