On Monday, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that “Iran is too large a player, too important a player in this region, to simply leave in isolation.” He also said that Iran is a major regional player that can be an “ally in fighting terrorism” — but that London must “tread carefully” in its relationship with Tehran.
The remarks came as Hammond was visiting Tehran to reopen the British embassy there. Countries have been flocking to Iran following the signing of the nuclear deal and are falling over themselves to get their piece of the Iranian multibillion-dollar pie.
According to British newspaper The Guardian, Hammond questioned whether Iran was really committed to destroying Israel, claiming that this had been the position of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s predecessor, and Rouhani had a “more nuanced approach.”