British Prime Minister: Agreement with Iran Does Not Mean Alliance with the Country

David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, stated on Friday that the important nuclear agreement with Iran does not signify an alliance with the country. In an interview with Al Arabiya news network on Friday, July 26, he remarked, "By signing this agreement, Britain does not become allied with Iran." Mr. Cameron added, "Britain, along with its partners, namely the United States, France, Germany, China, and Russia, is signing this agreement to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." He further stated, "(Such an agreement) is good for the region, good for regional stability, but we do not ally with Iran." Iran and the six world powers reached a comprehensive and final agreement regarding Tehran's nuclear program on July 23, and the draft resolution of the United Nations Security Council is set to be voted on Monday. Meanwhile, Israel has criticized this agreement. The Israeli cabinet has rejected this agreement and announced that it will not adhere to it. In this context, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, in a phone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama, stated that Iran should not use the funds released from the lifting of sanctions to exacerbate instability in the region. Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, also advised the Islamic Republic after the nuclear agreement in Vienna to use the economic benefits of this agreement for its own people and not for "adventurism in the region." The Saudi Foreign Minister warned, "If Iran seeks to create discord in the region, we consider ourselves obliged to respond decisively." In this context, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also stated that the U.S. will assist its allies in the Middle East to defend themselves against any Iranian-supported actions against them. One day before the broadcast of the British Prime Minister's interview on Al Arabiya, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in a phone call with David Cameron, expressed happiness that they achieved a win-win result in these negotiations and emphasized the necessity for the 1+5 member countries to work on implementing the next steps of the nuclear agreement. According to ISNA, during the phone call between the British Prime Minister and the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani praised Britain’s "constructive role" in these negotiations. The British Prime Minister's office also announced on Thursday that Mr. Cameron, in his phone conversation with Hassan Rouhani, stated that the Vienna nuclear agreement marks a new beginning in the relations between the two countries and that he is committed to reopening the British embassy in Tehran. A spokesman for Mr. Cameron's office noted that the Prime Minister expressed hope that this agreement could be a fresh start in bilateral relations between Britain and Iran. According to Reuters, he added, "The Prime Minister made it clear that he is committed to reopening the British embassy in Tehran."