UK Foreign Secretary Confirms Commitment to Implementation of Iran Nuclear Deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson held a meeting on Saturday as a part of Johnson’s two-day visit to Iran.

Senior diplomats have discussed a wide range of issues related to bilateral ties, as well as other issues on the regional and international agenda during their meeting in Tehran.

“During the Saturday meeting, Zarif and Johnson conferred on bilateral ties, particularly the economic, banking and trade relations between Tehran and London. Expansion of ties, regional and international issues, especially the commitment of all parties to the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal were among the other topics discussed,” the the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

The Iranian ministry stressed that Johnson reaffirmed that the United Kingdom was committed to the full implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
According to a UK Foreign Office spokesman, Johnson also addressed the case of imprisoned UK-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

"They discussed the full range of bilateral issues and they both spoke frankly about the obstacles in the relationship, including the Foreign Secretary's concerns about the consular cases of British-Iranian dual nationals,” the spokesman said, as quoted by the Telegraph newspaper.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been under arrest in Iran since April 2016 over plotting against the government. In September, she was sentenced to five years in prison.

The visit to Iran is taking place amid US calls for revision of the JCPOA, signed in July 2015 by the European Union, Iran and the P5+1 group of nations, namely the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany. The United Kingdom has confirmed its commitment to the Iranian nuclear deal several times.