Boris Johnson pleads with Donald Trump to save Iran nuclear deal
Foreign secretary follows Macron and Merkel to the US in last-ditch effort to sway US president
Donald Trump has said he will announce his decision on whether to pull the US out of the international Iran nuclear deal this evening - after Boris Johnson made a last-ditch plea to the US president to stay the course.
Rather than meeting Trump face-to-face, the foreign secretary appeared on Trump’s favourite morning news show, Fox & Friends, which has been said to set his agenda for the day. Johnson admitted that the 2015 deal was not perfect, but urged Trump not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater” by walking away from it.
Trump has been a vocal critic of the multilateral deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama, which halted Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of economic sanctions. Despite campaigning on a pledge to tear up the deal, he has until now kept the US in.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That has been in large part because of the influence of senior members of his administration - but in a recent round of appointments many of the strongest voices advocating keeping the deal have been replaced by more hawkish advisers. New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton seem to have convinced Trump to follow his instincts and pull the US out.
However, Trump “is expected to stop short of reneging on the deal altogether”, says The Washington Post. “Instead, he will address a portion of the wide range of sanctions that were waived when the deal was first implemented, while leaving in limbo other waivers that are due in July.”
Last week Pompeo said the deal had been “built on lies” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a dramatic presentation in which he accused Iran of having run a secret nuclear weapons programme for years.
Under US law, the president has to re-certify the agreement every three months, meaning Trump has to make a decision by 12 May. Last night he said he would bring forward the decision to this evening.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The deadline has led to a frantic behind-the-scenes effort led by France, Germany and Britain. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor have met Trump in Washington over the past two weeks. In what appears to be a last throw of Britain’s diplomatic dice, Johnson travelled to the US for a round of media appearances aimed directly at the President.
Expanding on ideas he set out in an article for The New York Times, Johnson told Fox & Friends that, without a deal in place, Iran could develop a nuclear weapon and start an arms race among countries in the region.
He said that while the deal had weaknesses, “of all the options we have for ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, this pact offers the fewest disadvantages”.
Iran has also been engaged in its own publicity campaign in a bid to save the deal. In a speech broadcast on state TV over the weekend, President Hassan Rouhani said abandoning the agreement would be a “historic mistake”.
But Rouhani also said Iran had plans for “whatever decision is made by Trump [and] when it comes to weapons and defending our country, we will not negotiate with anybody”.
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
What does history say about Trump’s moves in Latin America?Today's Big Question ‘Bitter memories’ surface as the US targets Venezuela
-
Is the ceasefire in Gaza really working?Today's Big Question Neither Israel and Hamas has an interest in a full return to hostilities but ‘brutally simple arithmetic’ in region may scupper peace plan long-term
-
No Kings rally: What did it achieve?Feature The latest ‘No Kings’ march has become the largest protest in U.S. history
-
Push for Ukraine ceasefire collapsesFeature Talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were called off after the Russian president refused to compromise on his demands
-
Trump eyes regime change in VenezuelaFeature Officials believe Trump’s ‘war on narco-terrorism’ is actually a push to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
‘Social media is the new tabloid’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are ICE’s recruitment woes complicating Trump’s immigration agenda?TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Lowered training standards and ‘athletically allergic’ hopefuls are hindering the White House plan to turn the Department of Homeland Security into a federal police force
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy