UK's Boris Johnson calls for 'end to hostilities' with US in call to Iran's Rouhani

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for an "end to hostilities" on Thursday as he urged Iran's Hassan Rouhani to end the standoff with the United States.

During the 20-minutes call, Johnson also underlined Britain's commitment to Tehran's nuclear agreement.

Britain viewed the 2015 nuclear deal as "the best arrangement currently available to deliver on our goal of stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon", Johnson's spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement also said that Johnson wanted to "deliver the clear message" to Iran that "there is an urgent need for de-escalation".

The tension between US and Iran saw a dramatic escalation last week after the US killed Iran' top military commander, General Qasem Soleimani in a strike in Baghdad International Airport. 

On Wednesday, in retaliation, Iran fired ballistic missiles on US airbases in Iraq targeting Al-Asad and Irbil.

Following the attack, Trump addressed the nation from White House and said that these missile attacks did not harm any US troops and the damage was minimal, an outcome he showed as Tehran wanting to de-escalate the standoff.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Trump during the televised address said, "the time has come" for Britain, Germany, France, Russia and China to follow Washington's lead and abandon the 2015 nuclear agreement, which sets limits on Iran's enrichment levels.

Iran began breaking the deal's rules once Trump pulled the US out in 2018, resulting in a new wave of tension.

(With inputs from agencies)