British leader defends Iran deal in meetings with Republicans

British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to urge US President Donald Trump not to mess with the Iran nuclear deal when she meets with him Jan. 27, a rare piece of good news for the pact’s embattled supporters.

Trump throughout the campaign vowed to renegotiate what he’s called “the worst deal ever.” But he’s also eager to strike a good relationship with May, a key potential ally as the new US administration reorders its traditional alliances in favor of closer bilateral ties with like-minded countries.

"We have been a strong supporter of the deal,” a British official told Al-Monitor ahead of May’s visit, “and would expect the prime minister to be clear about that during her visit to the US.”

The prime minister already delivered that message to congressional Republicans when she addressed their annual retreat in Philadelphia on Jan. 26. After vowing to counter what she called Iran’s “malign influence” and “aggressive efforts to build an arc of influence from Tehran through to the Mediterranean,” she defended the deal before a roomful of Republicans who voted against it.