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France, Germany and UK blame Iran for Saudi oilfield attack Johnson sides with Trump in scorning Iran nuclear agreement
(about 1 hour later)
The UK, France and Germany have said they are convinced that Iran was responsible for airstrikes against Saudi oil installations, and called on Iran to negotiate over its role in the Middle East and its development of missiles as well as its nuclear programme. Boris Johnson has sided with Donald Trump in calling the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran a “bad deal”, while praising the US president as a “very brilliant negotiator” capable of achieving a better one.
In a joint statement at the UN general assembly, the three European governments supported the US and Saudi claim that Iran had carried out the missile and drone attack on 14 September against an oil field and petrochemical processing facility, but they maintained support for a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran they were party to, but which the US abandoned in 2018. The prime minister’s remarks, made in a NBC interview, marked a sharp change in UK rhetoric. British leaders, including Johnson, had until now upheld the 2015 accord between six major powers and Iran as a major diplomatic achievement.
“It is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation. We support ongoing investigations to establish further details,” the statement said following a meeting between the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron. British officials insisted that the prime minister continued to support full compliance with that deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action (JCPOA).
The statement said that the attack raised the risk of a major new conflict, which was of concern to the whole world. It underlined the importance of collective security and multilateral action, and restated the European nations’ commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal. However, Johnson had clearly come to the UN determined to emphasise his personal relationship with Trump, who reneged on the JCPOA last year, praising him highly in the interview.
It called for Iran to return to the limits on its nuclear programme imposed by that agreement, which Tehran has begun to ignore more than a year after the US withdrew from the deal. Asked about the JCPOA, Johnson said: “The reality is, as President Trump rightly said, it was a bad deal. It had many defects. Iran was and is behaving disruptively in the region.”
“If it was a bad deal – and I’m willing to accept that, it had many, many defects – then let’s do a better deal.
“And I think there’s one guy who can do a better deal and one guy who understands how to get a difficult partner like Iran over the line and that is the president of the United States.”
Johnson described Trump as a “very, very brilliant negotiator” who could produce a “Trump deal”.
On the prospect of a US military response to the attacks, Johnson replied: “It’s not something that I think will necessarily help the situation.”
Johnson’s remarks came as the UK, France and Germany declared they were convinced that Iran was responsible for airstrikes against Saudi oil installations on 14 September and called on Iran to negotiate over its role in the Middle East and its development of missiles as well as its nuclear programme.
In a joint statement at the UN general assembly on Monday, the three European governments supported the US and Saudi claim that Iran had carried out the missile and drone attack on 14 September against an oil field and petrochemical processing facility, but added they maintained support for the JCPOA.
“It is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation. We support ongoing investigations to establish further details,” the statement said following a meeting between Johnson, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
The statement said that the attack raised the risk of a major new conflict, which was of concern to the whole world. It underlined the importance of collective security and multilateral action.
The statement also restated the European nations’ commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Asked whether Johnson’s undertaking in the European statement clashed with his remarks on the US evening news, a UK official insisted there was a coherent message.
“What this is about is achieving compliance, and we’re open to various ways of achieving that,” he said.
“Our commitment is to working with all of our partners to find solutions to bring Iran into compliance. In his interview I think he was clear he wants to work with all our partners.”
The European agreement called for Iran to return to the limits on its nuclear programme imposed by that agreement, which Tehran has begun to ignore more than a year after the US withdrew from the deal.
But the statement said Iran would now have to go further, arguing “the time has come for Iran to accept a long-term negotiation framework for its nuclear program, as well as regional security issues, which include its missile programs,” the statement said.But the statement said Iran would now have to go further, arguing “the time has come for Iran to accept a long-term negotiation framework for its nuclear program, as well as regional security issues, which include its missile programs,” the statement said.
Iran has denied responsibility, insisting the strikes were launched from Yemen by their Houthi allies.Iran has denied responsibility, insisting the strikes were launched from Yemen by their Houthi allies.
Monday’s statement came hours after Boris Johnson said he believed that Iran was responsible for the attack.
Speaking to reporters on his plane en route to the UN general assembly in New York, the prime minister said: “I can tell you that the UK is attributing responsibility with a very high degree of probability to Iran for the Aramco attacks. We think it very likely indeed that Iran was indeed responsible, using both drones and cruise missiles.
“Clearly, the difficulty is how do we organise a global response, what is the way forward. We’ll be working with our American friends and our European friends to construct a response that tries to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf region.”
How did oil attack breach Saudi defences and what will happen next?How did oil attack breach Saudi defences and what will happen next?
France has sent investigators to examine the weapons fragments collected at the site of the attacks. The UN has also sent an investigative team, which has yet to deliver a report. Iran has said it will not necessarily accept the results of that report, calling into question the impartiality of the UN team.France has sent investigators to examine the weapons fragments collected at the site of the attacks. The UN has also sent an investigative team, which has yet to deliver a report. Iran has said it will not necessarily accept the results of that report, calling into question the impartiality of the UN team.
The European statement comes as the US and Iran are poised to clash at the UN general assembly. Donald Trump is due to address the assembly on Tuesday, and the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, who has already arrived in New York, will speak the next day. Both are expected to blame the other for the worsening instability in the Gulf.The European statement comes as the US and Iran are poised to clash at the UN general assembly. Donald Trump is due to address the assembly on Tuesday, and the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, who has already arrived in New York, will speak the next day. Both are expected to blame the other for the worsening instability in the Gulf.
At the same time that the statement was issued, the US envoy on Iran, Brian Hook, was laying out US evidence against Tehran. He told the Asia Society in New York that the projectiles used against the oil installations did not have the range to have reached their target from Yemen. He said the US would await the UN report for a final judgment.
It is unclear what would follow if the UN results supported the US, European and Saudi version of events. The US has made clear it is not considering military action for now.
Saudi Arabia drone attacks
IranIran
Saudi Arabia drone attacks
Foreign policyForeign policy
FranceFrance
GermanyGermany
United NationsUnited Nations
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
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