A landmark nuclear deal with Tehran does not represent an alignment with Iran, British Prime Minister David Cameron has said, as Western powers scrambled to reassure regional allies over the move.
The nuclear accord was struck in Vienna this week after almost two years of negotiations which culminated in a final 18-day stretch of virtually round-the-clock talks. It put strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities for at least 10 years designed to stop the country developing a nuclear weapon, in return for lifting sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.
Now the United States and Britain are engaged in careful diplomacy with Middle Eastern allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel in a bid to ease concerns that Iran cannot be trusted to implement the deal.