EXCLUSIVE: BRITISH PM CAMERON: “WE SHOULDN’T BE STARRY-EYED” ABOUT THE IRAN REGIME

“The right way to conclude the deal was to make it about the nuclear issue.”

Iran nuclear deal “is a success for American and Britain and our allies.”

JULY 17, 2015 – In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” British Prime Minister David Cameron told moderator Chuck Todd that when it comes to the Iran nuclear deal reached earlier this week, “we shouldn’t be naïve or starry-eyed in any way about the regime that we’re dealing with.” “I’m certainly not,” he added.

“I spoke to President Rouhani yesterday and said that we want to see a change in the approach that Iran takes to issues like Syria and Yemen, and to terrorism in the region,” said Cameron. “And we want the change in behavior that should follow from that change.”

Prime Minister Cameron’s full interview with Todd will air this Sunday on “Meet the Press” and will be available on MeetThePressNBC.com after it airs.

Video of this preview is available on NBCNews.com: http://nbcnews.to/1Hzg0OP

Excerpts of the interview may be used subject to the following restrictions:

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  • The onscreen “Meet the Press Exclusive” credit must be clearly visible and unobstructed at all times in any image, video clip, or other form of media.
  • Embedded web video must stream from the NBCNews.com media player with the unobstructed credit as described above.

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MANDATORY CREDIT: NBC NEWS’ “MEET THE PRESS” / CHUCK TODD

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CHUCK TODD: It didn’t demand changes in what they’re doing in Syria, what they’re doing in Yemen, essentially the influence that –  their undue influence that they’re trying to exert in the Middle East.  Why not include all that?

DAVID CAMERON: Well, this deal was about the nuclear issue.  And I think the right way to conclude the deal was to make it about the nuclear issue.  But, you know, we shouldn’t be naïve or starry- eyed in any way about the regime that we’re dealing with.  And I’m certainly not. I spoke to President Rouhani yesterday and said that we want to see a change in the approach that Iran takes to issues like Syria and Yemen, and to terrorism in the region.  And we want the change in behavior that should follow from that change.  So, we’re not starry eyed at all.  And I’d reassure our Gulf allies about that.  But actually taking the nuclear weapon issue off the table – that is a success for America and Britain and our allies.  And we should be clear about that.

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For more information, please contact:

Olivia Petersen

NBC News

202-885-4159

olivia.petersen@nbcuni.com

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MEET THE PRESS

“Meet the Press” is where newsmakers come to make news — setting the political agenda and spotlighting the impact Washington decision-making has on people across the country. “Meet the Press” reaches more than 3 million people every Sunday through its broadcasts and millions more through NBCNews.com, the #TweetThePress interview series, Flipboard, and social media platforms.  Chuck Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press” and John Reiss is the executive producer.

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