Asked whether he thinks US National Security Adviser John Bolton wants regime change in Iran, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that it is not the goal that Britain should pursue as the regime change in Tehran would not necessarily be change for the better.
"We might conceivably achieve regime change at some stage in the near future but I cannot with any confidence say that would be a change for the better because it seems equally plausible to me to imagine that Qasem Soleimani of the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps) could put himself in a very good position to take over from Ayatollah Khamenei for instance," the diplomat stressed.
Johnson went on saying that Britain, France and Germany — signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — would "continue to view the nuclear deal as vital for our shared security, and remain fully committed to upholding it."
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"We will look at potential options for supporting continued sanctions relief for Iran to ensure we meet our commitments under the deal, as well as calling on Iran to continue to abide by the restrictions the deal places upon their nuclear program," the minister said.
Johnson also urged the US "to avoid any actions that could prevent the remaining parties to the agreement from meeting their commitments under the deal — including delivering sanctions relief through legitimate trade."
Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on May 12. The president also vowed to re-impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Iran in response to suspected Tehran's development of its nuclear program despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), international nuclear watchdog, has repeatedly confirmed Tehran's compliance with the nuclear deal.
