The Foreign Secretary will meet senior members of
US Congress this week to underline the importance of the Iran
nuclear deal to global security.
During his first visit to Washington since President Trump’s
announcement that he would not certify Iran’s compliance with the
nuclear deal under the US domestic process, the Foreign Secretary
will meet foreign policy leaders from both parties.
Speaking at the start of his visit, Foreign Secretary said:
“The Iran nuclear deal makes the world safer. That’s why it is
vital that the international community sticks to the deal. It is
working and has, so far, resulted in Iran giving up 95 percent of
its uranium stockpile. These are the points I will be making in
my meetings in the United States this week.
“Supporting the nuclear deal does not mean we should not call out
and take action against disruptive Iranian behaviour elsewhere,
including its ballistic missile programme and the unjustified
detention of British dual-nationals. However, it is vital that we
do not conflate the issues on which we should rightly condemn
Iran and a deal which is neutralising the threat of a
nuclear-armed Iran.
“It took thirteen years of tireless diplomacy between the UK, US,
our European partners and Iran to make the world a safer place.
Now is not the moment to put that at risk but rather it is time
for the US and UK to draw on the strength of our relationship and
to focus on addressing Iran’s destabilising activity in the
region.”
In two days of meetings on Capitol Hill, the Foreign Secretary
will meet with Speaker Paul Ryan, House and Senate Majority
Leaders Representative McCarthy and Senator McConnell, and the
Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate Foreign Relations and
House Foreign Affairs Committees, Senators Corker and Cardin, and
Representatives Royce and Engel.
