The National - News

Netanyahu, on lightning trip to London, says there is a chance Trump will meet Rouhani

- ARTHUR SCOTT-GEDDE

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to manage the fallout from any internatio­nal rapprochem­ent with Iran in a series of meetings in London on Thursday, including talks with Boris Johnson and top US officials.

During the visit Mr Netanyahu indicated he was taking seriously the prospect of a meeting between the US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpar­t Hassan Rouhani, perhaps as soon as late September in New York.

“I believe there is chance that Mr Trump will meet Iran’s President Rouhani,” he said. “I am sure Mr Trump will take a much tougher position than before. I don’t tell the president who he should meet or who he shouldn’t meet.”

A diplomatic initiative by President Emmanuel Macron of France has pushed a proposal of talks between President Trump and the Iranian leader into the frame, despite an increase in tensions between Washington and Tehran.

On Thursday Mr Trump appeared open to the idea, even though his administra­tion had dumped fresh sanctions on the regime.

“Sure, anything’s possible. They would like to be able to solve their problem,” he said, pointing to high inflation in Iran. “We could solve it in 24 hours.”

One of the first foreign heads of government to meet the new British prime minister, Mr Netanyahu said it was not time for dialogue with Tehran despite London’s support for the French initiative to resolve the impasse over the 2015 deal.

“We have the challenge of Iran’s aggression and terrorism, and I’d like to talk to you about how we can work together to counter these things for the benefit of peace,” the Israeli leader said at the opening of the 30-minute encounter in Downing Street.

Mr Johnson told Mr Netanyahu that Britain remained dedicated to reaching a resolution in the Middle East peace process, based on two-state parameters.

“The prime minister and Prime Minister Netanyahu also discussed the Middle East peace process,” a Downing Street spokeswoma­n said.

“The prime minister said that he looks forward to seeing the US administra­tion’s detailed proposals for a viable Palestinia­n-Israel peace agreement that addresses the legitimate concerns of both parties. Both prime ministers agreed on the need to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon and to stop wider destabilis­ing Iranian behaviour. The prime

minister stressed the need for dialogue and a diplomatic solution.”

Hours before Mr Netanyahu landed in Britain, Iran said it had begun the third phase of its disengagem­ent from the 2015 nuclear deal. That announceme­nt was seized on by Mr Netanyahu. “This morning we were informed of another violation by Iran, this time in its striving to attain nuclear weapons,” he said.

“This is in addition to Iran’s aggressive actions against internatio­nal shipping, against regional countries, and also its attempts to carry out murderous attacks against Israel, attempts that have not been stopped.”

After the talks, the Israeli leader planned to meet Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and the US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper.

The Israeli team said that Mr Netanyahu was taking the opportunit­y for a first meeting with Mr Esper before Israeli elections on September 17.

There is growing speculatio­n in Israel that the prime minister is hoping Mr Trump will announce a long-term defence pact with Israel before the end of the campaign.

The brevity of the Downing Street meeting and the dash to secure a meeting with US officials in London left some analysts pointing out that it was clear where Mr Netanyahu’s priorities lay.

“Netanyahu’s visit to London to meet with the PM and Mr Esper is framed as an effort to head off a perceived softening of the US position

on Iran, pivoting away from its current campaign of ‘maximum pressure’ to possible negotiatio­ns,” said Hugh Lovatt, a policy fellow at the European Council of Foreign Relations.

“Presumably he also wants to draw the UK away from its current EU-aligned position into a harder post-Brexit stance on the Iran file.”

The visit comes amid continued tension with Iran as the 2015 nuclear deal unravels and US sanctions continue to hit the country’s oil exports.

A French offer of a $15 billion (Dh55.09bn) credit lifeline to replace lost crude-oil revenue since US sanctions came into force is part of an initiative by President Emmanuel Macron that could lead to talks between Mr Trump and the Iranian leader.

“All limitation­s on our research and developmen­t will be lifted on Friday,” Mr Rouhani said.

But Tehran also looked to ease some of the tension by releasing seven crew members of the British-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Impero.

The freed mariners flew out of Iran on Thursday, the ship’s owner said.

US Vice President Mike Pence told Mr Johnson on Friday that the US supported Britain’s departure from the EU and was ready, willing and able to negotiate a free-trade agreement.

As he received Mr Pence outside 10 Downing Street, Mr Johnson said Britain’s health service would not be included in negotiatio­ns for a US trade deal once Britain left the EU.

Mr Johnson then joked: “We’re not too keen on your chlorinate­d chicken.”

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UFC lightweigh­t champion Khabib Nurmagomed­ov, left, comes face to face with Dustin Poirier, right, his opponent in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, as UFC president Dana White looks on. Report, pages 2-3; Big Picture, pages 14-15; Sport, pages 23-24
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