UK to discuss Iran nuclear deal, Strait of Hormuz with EU leaders

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will discuss ways to preserve the Iran nuclear deal and the situation involving international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz with the leaders of European Union, the UK Foreign Office said in a statement on Friday.

"Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will meet European partners today to discuss how to preserve the Iran nuclear deal and protect international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," it said.

"He will be joined for the meeting by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, and Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security," the statement read.

The meeting will be held in Helsinki, where European Foreign Ministers are currently attending a two-day discussion on shared foreign policy challenges.

The Foreign Secretary will reiterate the UK's commitment to preserving the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), as the best way of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

"Our discussions will build on the momentum of the positive G7 talks on Iran as we seek to de-escalate tensions," Raab said in the statement ahead of the meeting.

He stressed that the nuclear deal is the only deal on the table that prevents Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and "we will continue working together to encourage Iran to uphold the agreement in full".

"We also need the broadest international support possible to tackle the threats to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Foreign Secretary said.

Raab also said he will raise the UK's concerns about the situation in Hong Kong.

The UK continues to believe that the way forward is through a peaceful and constructive dialogue which respects Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, he said.