U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States' and Britain's "special relationship" will flourish despite differences over Iran's nuclear program and China's involvement with the British communications network.
In a news conference Wednesday in London, Pompeo said it was evident in his meetings with both foreign minister Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Theresa May that "the special relationship does not simply endure, it is thriving."
The purpose of Pompeo's trip was to discuss the U.S.-Britain relationship post-Brexit, when Britain is no longer part of the European Union.
"It is now exactly the opposite of the time for either of us to go wobbly," he said in a speech at a conservative think tank Wednesday, in which he praised the "special relationship" of the two nations.
In regard to Iran, Pompeo said the United States will make decisions about how best to respond to Iran when it sees what Tehran's actions are.
Pompeo said the two nations agree that Iran should never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, but each has a different approach about how that should be accomplished.
The United States pulled out of the international nuclear agreement with Iran last year, re-imposing sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear activity.
The agreement limits Iran's capacity to produce nuclear fuel for 15 years.
Iran announced Wednesday it will begin enriching uranium at a higher level again, something it agreed to stop in the nuclear agreement, if other countries do not shield it from U.S. sanctions.
Regarding Chinese communications company Huawei, the United States has asked its allies not to use Huawei communications equipment because of fears China could use the equipment to spy on other nations.
"Why would anyone grant such power to a regime that has already grossly violated cyberspace? What can Her Majesty's Government do to make sure sensitive technologies don't become open doors for Beijing's spymasters?" Pompeo asked.
But Britain has said it is planning to allow Huawei to participate in a "restricted role" in the building of its next-generation communications network.
Pompeo flew to London after canceling a trip to Germany to make a surprise visit to Baghdad, where he warned Iraqi officials about a threat of "imminent" Iranian attacks on American interests in the Middle East.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced earlier Wednesday the country would stop complying with two parts of the 2015 deal U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from last year. The Trump administration, nevertheless, continues to demand that Tehran honor its commitments.
