Iran; Trump and May's Conversation, Johnson's Visit to America

The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Britain have held a phone conversation regarding Iran and other issues. The British Foreign Secretary is also set to visit the U.S. for two days to discuss Tehran with Trump's Deputy and National Security Advisor. According to a statement from the White House, Donald Trump emphasized his commitment during a phone call on May 5th with Theresa May that Iran will never acquire nuclear weapons. The leaders of the two countries also discussed upcoming negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea and 'nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula.' The topics of Iran and other issues such as North Korea or the Syrian crisis will be central to the upcoming discussions between Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, and Mike Pence and John Bolton, Trump's Deputy and National Security Advisor. Mr. Johnson is scheduled to make a two-day trip to the U.S. As stated in the British Foreign Office's announcement, 'Britain, the United States, and European partners are united in seeking to counter those behaviors of Iran that have diminished the security of the Middle East region; behaviors such as cyber activities, support for groups like Hezbollah [Lebanon], and a dangerous missile program that also arms the Houthis in Yemen.' Reports indicate that European leaders have recently intensified their efforts to preserve the 'JCPOA.' Reuters reports that there remains a possibility that Trump will find a way to maintain the nuclear agreement. On the other hand, other analyses indicate that the U.S. President does not intend to continue suspending sanctions on Iran if the 'JCPOA' is not changed. The deadline set by Trump for changes to the JCPOA ends on May 12th. Britain, along with Germany and France, is calling for the preservation of the 'JCPOA' while also expanding negotiations and increasing pressure on other issues such as Tehran's activities in the Middle East or the development of ballistic missiles. Donald Trump has been an opponent of the nuclear agreement both during the U.S. election campaign and afterward, and he is currently calling for its amendment or abandonment. Trump has called for amendments such as making nuclear restrictions permanent, imposing restrictions and bans on Iran's missile program, and broader inspections of Iranian facilities. Tehran claims that the U.S. has regularly violated the Vienna nuclear agreement by 'obstructing' those who wanted to trade with Iran, and the Islamic Republic is not willing to renegotiate the nuclear agreement or discuss its missile program, which it describes as 'defensive.' The nuclear agreement was reached between Iran, the Obama administration, France, Britain, China, Russia, and Germany in July 2015.