UK's Hunt Poised To Do Everything To Prevent Middle East From Possessing Nuclear Weapons

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th July, 2019) UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is scheduled to travel to Brussels on Monday for a meeting with EU leaders to warn them that the possession of nuclear weapons in the middle East is an "existential threat" to mankind and pledge to do everything in his power to prevent it from happening.

�"The Middle East is already one of the most unstable regions in the world, but if the different parties were armed with nuclear weapons it would represent an existential threat to mankind. I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening," the Guardian wrote, citing Hunt.

He added that the United Kingdom, along with Germany and France, is determined to do what it takes to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as Iran nuclear deal.

On Sunday, Berlin, Paris and London voiced concerns that the deal risks falling apart due to the US sanctions against Iran and Tehran's decision to partially discontinue its obligations under the JCPOA.

On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the JCPOA and imposed several consecutive rounds of economic sanctions on Iran.

A year later, Tehran announced its own decision to partially suspend obligations under the deal and giving the other signatories � France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and the European Union � 60 days to save the accord by facilitating oil exports and trade with Iran. As the deadline expired, Iran said it would begin enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 percent level, set in the JCPOA, warning to gradually abandon its nuclear commitments every 60 days.

In addition, the security situation in the Middle East has been steadily declining since early May, when the United States started building up its military presence in the region in what National Security Advisor John Bolton called a clear message to Iran. According to the Pentagon, an aircraft carrier strike group, Patriot missiles, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighters were deployed to the region.