Boris Johnson should follow Donald Trump's lead and declare Iran nuclear deal 'dead', says ex-Tory minister

'European attempts to salvage it are futile,' argues former international trade secretary

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Boris Johnson should follow Donald Trump's lead and declare the Iran nuclear deal is "dead", a former Tory cabinet minister is expected to say.

Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, Liam Fox will urge the UK government to accept that attempts to salvage the anti-nuclear agreement are "futile".

In a speech in Washington, the former international trade secretary will say that the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was "doomed from the beginning" and urge the international community to meet Iran's "fanaticism with more consistency and resolve".

Mr Trump pulled the US out of the agreement last year, which he branded an "embarrassment", despite a failed bid by then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson to keep him in the agreement.

Dr Fox will say: "The JCPOA is dead and European attempts to salvage it are futile.

"Britain should follow the US lead and operate a policy that would reduce Iranian oil exports to zero in an attempt to force a change of behaviour from the Khamenei regime.

"The agreement has been shown to give scant, and only short term, reduction in Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.

"The original aim of halting Iran’s nuclear weapon programme now offers merely a delay with the problem left as a toxic legacy to future governments."

However his comments triggered anger in some quarters, with Liberal Democrat MP Chuka Umunna accusing the Tories of "supinely following" the US president.

Mr Umunna, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, said: “The Iran nuclear deal is an important achievement that helps keep our world safe.

“This Conservative government should be doing all it can to help ensure the deal is salvaged and upheld, not supinely following President Trump and his reckless actions.

He added: "We should be working with our allies to tackle the biggest issues of our time, rather than President Trump's poodle."

The UK government remains committed to the Iran nuclear deal, issuing a joint statement to that effect with France, Germany and the EU high representative last week.

It expressed "deep concern over Iran’s announcements and actions in contradiction with its commitments" under the deal and expressed fears ​the JCPoA could "further unravel under the strain of sanctions imposed by the United States since May 2018 and following Iran’s decisions to no longer implement several of the central provisions of the agreement."

It added: "They continue to support the JCPoA and strongly urge Iran to reverse all activities that are inconsistent with its commitments under the JCPoA and to refrain from any further steps. They call on Iran to co-operate with the IAEA on all relevant matters, including safeguards issues."

The row comes as Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei ruled out fresh talks with the US ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.

Until sanctions are lifted, Ayatollah Khamenei said "there will be no talks at any level between officials of the Islamic Republic and Americans, neither in New York, nor elsewhere," according to state media.

It comes after the US alleged Iran was to blame for attacks at oil facilities in Saudi Arabia - a claim Tehran denies.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who are at war with a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, have claimed they carried out the strikes.

Downing Street said work is still ongoing to establish what happened in the attacks at a processing plant and a key oil field.

The prime minister spoke to German chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, where the pair "discussed Saturday's attacks in Saudi Arabia and the need to work together, alongside international partners, to agree a collective response".

The PM's official spokesman said: "On the issue of Iran, they reaffirmed their commitment to a common approach and the importance of avoiding the further escalation of tensions in the region."