UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party : Astonishment at Iran nuclear deal

Bill Etheridge, UKIP Defence spokesman, has revealed his shock and frustration at the Obama administration having agreed to 116 tonnes of uranium going to Iran to preserve its nuclear programme according to press reports.

The shipment of natural uranium from Russia is to compensate it for exporting tons of reactor coolant, say diplomats.

The deal, in the dying days of the old presidency, will anger the incoming Republican administration who already feel that too many concessions have been given to Iran.

The controversial arrangement also comes as reports came out about the destroyer USS Mahan, which fired three warning shots towards four of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels on Sunday after they closed in at a high rate of speed.

Incoming President Trump has previously vowed that any Iranian vessels that harass the U.S. Navy in the Gulf would be 'shot out of the water.'

The confidential details were revealed by diplomats who demanded anonymity ahead of a meeting this week in Vienna of representatives of Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany to review Iranian complaints that the U.S. was reneging on sanctions relief pledges included in the nuclear deal.

Mr Etheridge, UKIP MEP for the West Midlands, said 'Why is Barack Obama agreeing to deals such as this, and swearing diplomats to secrecy, in the last few days of his presidency?

'With world peace at its most critical since the end of the cold war it is imperative that nuclear technology is restricted to as few nations as possible.

'If this deal should backfire the whole world could pay for the consequences.'