Theresa May: As long as Iran adheres to the JCPOA, we will remain committed

Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, emphasized Britain's commitment to the JCPOA during a meeting with her Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in London and expressed her concern over the killing of several Palestinians during protests on the day of the U.S. embassy's relocation to Jerusalem. Netanyahu met with May on Wednesday, June 6, during the third and final leg of his European trip. According to reports, May stated at the beginning of her meeting with Netanyahu that the British government views adherence to the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement with Iran, as essential for maintaining regional security and stability, and as long as Iran remains committed, Britain will support it. She also mentioned that she would discuss the deaths of many Palestinians in recent border protests in Gaza with Netanyahu, as 'Britain is concerned about this massacre.' The British Prime Minister simultaneously affirmed her country’s recognition of Israel's right to defend itself but added, 'We are facing the loss of human lives and the deterioration of the situation in Gaza,' and emphasized the need to discuss improving conditions in Gaza and achieving a two-state solution. May's reference to the two-state solution is the internationally supported plan for Palestinian independence alongside Israel, a plan that has seen peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stagnate for nearly a decade. Meanwhile, the killing of over a hundred Palestinians in recent protests on the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding and Palestinian opposition to the U.S. decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem has darkened the outlook for Israeli-Palestinian relations. The British Prime Minister also noted that her country shares concerns with Israel regarding preventing Iran from 'regional aggressions' and limiting Iran's ballistic missile activities, dedicating part of her discussions with Netanyahu to these issues. Netanyahu, stating that his country has been facing 'Palestinian violence in border protests,' added, 'We are doing everything necessary to reduce the number of casualties in these protests.' The Israeli Prime Minister immediately shifted the topic to Iran, saying, 'I have come here to discuss preventing the consolidation of Iran's military presence in Syria.' May's emphasis on her country's differences with Israel regarding the JCPOA mirrored statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who on Tuesday during a meeting with Netanyahu at the Élysée Palace stated that France views withdrawal from the JCPOA as detrimental to regional and global security and stability. Macron added that recent directives from the Iranian Supreme Leader to the country's Atomic Energy Organization to prepare for increasing uranium enrichment capacity indicate that the collapse of the JCPOA could worsen the situation. During a joint press conference with Macron, Netanyahu stated that he had not asked the French President to withdraw from the JCPOA but implicitly expressed satisfaction that the intensified economic pressures resulting from the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA have created a situation where the JCPOA is heading towards collapse. The Israeli Prime Minister told Macron that the primary goal of Western allies should now be to ensure Iran exits Syria because 'it has no business there.' He reiterated that Iran's continued presence in Syria exacerbates the crisis in the region and increases the number of refugees heading to Europe, adding to Europe's problems. He had expressed similar views during a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday. Netanyahu's European trip was clearly aimed at 'convincing European leaders to follow the U.S. and withdraw from the JCPOA' and 'gaining their support for further actions against Iran's military presence and its allies in Syria.' This trip was successful for Netanyahu on one hand, as it coincided with the re-publication of a tweet attributed to the Iranian Supreme Leader on Sunday referring to Israel as a 'cancerous tumor,' and also with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's directive on Monday to the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization to prepare for uranium enrichment up to 190,000 SWU, which Netanyahu exploited to the fullest. According to Netanyahu, the Iranian Supreme Leader stated on Sunday that 'he wants to destroy six million more Jews,' and one day later 'explained how he intends to destroy Israel.' However, on the other hand, Netanyahu's presence in Paris and London on Tuesday and Wednesday was accompanied by anti-Israeli protests by Palestinians and their supporters, although the German government did not allow similar protests to be held in Berlin.