Boris Johnson says Iran nuclear accord could be replaced with 'Trump deal'

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on January 14 that Iran nuclear deal should be replaced with a 'Trump deal'. Amid the heightened tensions between US and Iran, in an interview with an international media outlet, Johnson has urged to 'work together to replace JCPOA and get the Trump deal instead' while referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that was signed in July 2015. 

In the recent developments, Iran has also withdrawn from the nuclear accord after US strike killed its top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. US President Donald Trump, who left the accord in 2018, was backed by Johnson. The UK PM said he recognises the US concerns and called the deal 'flawed'. However, he further added that there had to be a way to stop Tehran from having nuclear weapons. Johnson believes that if there is a possibility of getting 'rid' of the nuclear accord, there is a 'need for replacement' with 'Trump deal'. 

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Nuclear accord 2015

The original agreement was signed to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and also set a framework to limit the amount and degree to which Tehran was allowed to enrich Uranium. According to reports, the discussions regarding the issue began as early as in June 2006 but was finally signed in July 2015 between Iran and the US, UK, China, France, Russia, and Germany or the P5+1 countries. The accord to curb Tehran's nuclear usage was signed under former US President Barack Obama's administration which has been widely abandoned by Trump. 

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The Republican President Donald Trump, in May 2018, withdrew from the nuclear deal accusing Iran of violating the terms of JCPOA and followed it with crippling economic sanctions. The bilateral relationship has been vulnerable since then with Trump pressuring other countries to impose sanctions on Iran. In December last year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the country is ready to hold nuclear talks with the United States on the condition that they lift the “unlawful” sanctions. 

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