“Today we’ve discussed again the importance of our two nations working together to address Iran’s destabilizing activity in the region and to ensure that Tehran cannot acquire a nuclear weapon,” said outgoing PM May during a press conference in London.
The US President echoed the PM’s comment, calling the “development and spread of nuclear weapons” as perhaps the “greatest threat” to the United States and United Kingdom. He added the two countries are “determined to ensure that Iran never develops nuclear weapons” and that Tehran “stops supporting and engaging in terrorism.”
Though she said they had differences on how to achieve that end; May reiterated that the UK remains committed to staying in the nuclear deal: “it is clear that we both want to reach the same goal.”
Trump announced the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018 and tensions between the US and Iran have since ratcheted up.
US-imposed sanctions have taken a heavy toll on the Iranian economy amid a deep economic recession. Inflation rates pushed toward 40 percent by the end of 2018, and oil exports dropped to just 400,000 bpd in May.
Iranian hardliners are currently commemorating the death of the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out negotiations with Washington until current US sanctions on Iran’s economy are lifted, calling on Iranians to stand firm in the face of unilateral US action against Tehran.
Tehran’s security chiefs are not particularly concerned about Washington and its Gulf allies, however. Attacks by ISIS which used armed drones during combat in Iraq and Syria, are its main worry.
Trump also extended thanks to “the people of the UK for their service and partnership in our campaign to defeat ISIS.”
“As we announced a few months ago, ISIS' territorial caliphate in Syria and Iraq has been completely obliterated...defeated,” he added.
The Islamic State [ISIS] was declared defeated in Iraq by then Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi more than 18 months ago. US-led coalition backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared the extremists had been defeated in all areas east of the Euphrates which they once controlled.
But remnants of the extremists are still active in northern Iraq, particularly in disputed areas of Nineveh, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Diyala provinces.
The group claimed responsibility for ambushing a brigade of the Iraqi Army on Tuesday, for a Ramadan bombing in Kirkuk on Thursday, and have burned thousands of dunams of crop fields in disputed areas.
Trump’s visit coincides with ceremonies to commemorate the 75th anniversary of World War II’s D-Day landings, and will also include visits to Ireland and France.
On Monday, Trump inspected British forces at Buckingham Palace under the watchful eyes of Queen Elizabeth II. Trump praised the two nations’ “eternal friendship” at a state dinner banquet with the queen.
