Theresa May's Phone Conversation with Trump; Britain Emphasizes Commitment to JCPOA

Theresa May, the Prime Minister of Britain, emphasized London's strong commitment to the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, during a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. This conversation comes as Trump has recently expressed doubts about Washington's adherence to the nuclear deal. Trump has called the agreement a 'shameful' deal for the U.S. and is expected to announce a final strategy regarding Iran in the coming days. According to Reuters, the British Prime Minister's office stated that May stressed the UK's firm commitment alongside European allies to the agreement. The statement also noted that May emphasized the importance of rigorous monitoring and proper implementation of the nuclear deal. Furthermore, both sides agreed to keep their teams in contact before the U.S. President's announcement regarding Iran's compliance with the JCPOA. The U.S., along with Britain, Germany, France, China, and Russia, signed the JCPOA with Iran in July 2015. Under this agreement, Iran halted parts of its nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of nuclear-related sanctions against it. However, U.S. President Trump and other officials have expressed their dissatisfaction with the agreement. In this context, U.S. officials have indicated that the government may not send a confirmation of Iran's compliance to Congress in the coming days. A senior U.S. official told Reuters that Trump will not issue a certification of Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal and will effectively leave the fate of the JCPOA to Congress. Meanwhile, the White House spokesperson stated that the Trump administration is working on a comprehensive strategy to counter Iran's actions, including 'destabilizing the region,' 'state-sponsored terrorism,' and 'missile tests.' It is reported that the U.S. President will announce a new strategy regarding Iran, which will consider all of the country's behaviors, including missile tests, 'support for terrorism,' and cyberattacks. In this regard, Germany has expressed concern about the potential U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, while Russia and China have called for the U.S. to remain in the Iranian nuclear deal. Amano reiterated Iran's commitment to the JCPOA obligations, and France has expressed concern about escalating tensions in the Middle East if the IRGC is classified as a terrorist organization. There was also an emphasis on vigilance regarding 'Iran's threats' in a phone conversation between Netanyahu and May.