Trump's Meeting with the Queen of Britain; Tens of Thousands Protest in London

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, met with the Queen of Britain during his visit on Friday, July 13, while tens of thousands of British citizens marched in protest against the policies of the American leader in central London. According to reports, Queen Elizabeth welcomed Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, at Windsor Castle, where a royal tea party was held, which the White House announced should last 25 minutes. The American President had previously described Queen Elizabeth as an 'extraordinary woman.' This is Trump's first visit to Britain as President, which was initially supposed to be a high-level official meeting between the leaders of the two countries, but ultimately the program was modified so it could no longer be considered a fully official visit. Before meeting with Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Trump had a discussion with Theresa May, the Prime Minister of Britain, at her residence, which was accompanied by a press conference where the two political leaders addressed various issues, including the nuclear agreement with Iran. The American President emphasized during this conference that Britain should continue its pressure on Tehran. He also stated that Washington and London both agree that Iran should never acquire nuclear weapons. Britain, along with Germany and France, the other two European countries party to the Vienna nuclear agreement, is calling for the preservation of the JCPOA, while the Trump administration has announced that the U.S. is withdrawing from this agreement to reinstate sanctions against Tehran. The U.S. seeks to reach a new agreement with Iran that would also include its missile program and end Tehran's support for groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. However, Europeans argue that despite agreeing with the U.S. on Iran's ballistic missile program and the Islamic Republic's actions in the region, the nuclear agreement must be preserved. According to Reuters, on the same day as Mr. Trump's meeting with Queen Elizabeth, tens of thousands protested in London against his presence in Britain. One feature of this protest was the flying of an orange balloon titled 'Baby Trump,' which depicts a caricature of Trump in a baby diaper, looking angry and shouting. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, authorized the balloon to fly in the British capital, which angered right-wing groups in Britain, calling it offensive. This balloon flew in front of the British Parliament while Mr. Trump was kilometers away from Parliament engaged in his meetings with British leaders. Trump left London on Friday evening for Scotland for a personal trip, where he will spend two days at a golf club that belongs to him before heading to a summit in Helsinki, Finland, to meet with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia.