IRNA - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said there is 'no doubt' that the 2015 nuclear deal officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will survive.


“I have absolutely no doubt that with determination and courage the [deal] can be preserved,' Johnson said while speaking at Chatham House in London.

He added, 'It is vital to understand that [US] President [Donald] Trump has not withdrawn from the JCPOA. He has not junked it. He has continued to waive nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.

'This is not just because the essential deal is in the interests of Western security – though it is – but because it is profoundly in the interests of the Iranian people.

“Iran is a great nation, of 80 million people – 2 thirds of whom are under the age of 30. They are highly educated, both men and women. They use and understand technology and they are bursting with a capitalist and entrepreneurial spirit.”

“If we”, Johnson said, “can show them that they are welcome in the great global market-place then, in time, a very different relationship is possible with the modern heirs; after all, Iran is one of the greatest of all ancient civilisations.'

Expressing some concerns regarding Iran’s role in the region, the head of British diplomatic apparatus said, 'But that does not mean for one minute that we should write Iran off, or that we should refuse to engage with Iran or that we should show disrespect to its people. On the contrary, we should continue to work to demonstrate to that population in Iran that they will be better off under this deal and the path of re-engagement that it prescribes.'

Johnson's statements are made while the US president took a new strategy towards Iran decertified Iran's compliance with the landmark nuclear deal on Oct 13.

Trump's approach has been criticized by many countries, international bodies, political communities and world media.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in her reaction to the US move had said that the JCPOA is the fruit of 12 years of diplomacy which plays significant role in preventing the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and maintaining security of the region.

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a recent statement said that Tehran would stick to its 2015 nuclear accord with the world powers as long as the other signatories respect it, but would shred the deal if Washington pulled out.

Earlier President Hassan Rouhani had also lashed out at his US counterpart saying he was opposing the whole world by trying to abandon the landmark nuclear agreement.