UK’s Alistair Burt arrives in Tehran for talks on Iran’s ‘destabilizing activity’ in Syria, Yemen

TEHRAN: Junior Foreign Minister Alistair Burt arrived in Tehran on Friday to discuss the future of Iran’s international nuclear deal, in the first visit to the country by a British minister to Iran since Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 agreement.

His visit comes as the European Union tries to keep the deal alive.

“As long as Iran meets its commitments under the deal, we remain committed to it as we believe it is the best way to ensure a safe, secure future for the region,” said Burt in a statement ahead of his visit.

Burt will also discuss the plight of dual nationals detained in Iran, as well as Iran’s “destabilizing role” in the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Burt wants to discuss the cases of dual nationals detained in Iran.

Britain is seeking the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. She was arrested in April 2016 at a Tehran airport as she was heading back to Britain with her daughter, now aged four, after a family visit.

Burt will meet Iranian ministers, including his counterpart Abbas Araghchi, and NGOs during his two-day visit.