British Foreign Secretary: We Should Not Seek Regime Change in Iran

The British Foreign Secretary stated that his country should not pursue a regime change policy in Iran, as any change does not necessarily mean an improvement in the situation. Boris Johnson elaborated on his statement: "It can be assumed that at some point in the near future, regime change could be achieved, but I cannot say with certainty that such a change would improve the situation because who knows, for example, if Qassem Soleimani of the Revolutionary Guards would not place himself in a very good position and take the place of Ayatollah Khamenei?" According to Reuters, Boris Johnson made this statement on Tuesday (May 14) in the British Parliament in response to a question regarding John Bolton's remarks, the U.S. National Security Advisor, on this matter. John Bolton, who had previously suggested that Washington should pressure for regime change in Iran, announced on Sunday (May 12) that this issue is currently not on the "agenda" of the Donald Trump administration. In an interview with CNN, he stated that in previous years, when he was "free," he had written and discussed a lot about the necessity of "regime change" in Iran. Bolton also mentioned in an interview with ABC that the current agenda of the U.S. government is to ensure that Iran never comes "close" to acquiring nuclear weapons. The British Foreign Secretary also stated, "I do not believe that regime change in Tehran is a goal we should pursue." Johnson added that while regime change in Iran may happen in the "near future," he is "not sure" that this change would improve the situation. He also reported on the continued commitment of Britain, Germany, and France to the Iran nuclear agreement with world powers, deeming it "vital" for the common security of all parties. The British Foreign Secretary also referred to potential options for continuing the lifting of sanctions on Iran based on the JCPOA by these three countries and urged Iran to remain committed to its obligations under this agreement. He also asked the U.S. to refrain from taking any actions that would prevent the remaining parties from fulfilling their commitments under the JCPOA. Johnson's remarks come after the United States asked all countries it deems "responsible" to pressure Iran due to the Islamic Republic's "destabilizing" actions in the Middle East. President Donald Trump also announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the JCPOA and re-activate nuclear sanctions against Iran, despite repeated confirmations of Iran's nuclear activities by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Although major European countries had attempted to persuade Trump to remain in the JCPOA through complementary agreements to address concerns regarding Iran's missile activities and its actions in the Middle East, this did not happen, and Washington made a different decision. However, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reported contacting his counterparts in France, Britain, and Germany to negotiate with Iran and conclude a comprehensive agreement with the country.