Mike Pompeo: US must make pressure on Iran by imposing sanctions
Former US Secretary Mike Pompeo stated that lifting sanctions on Iran would not push the regime to cease their malign activity while the Biden administration studied a near wholesale rollback of certain of the most stringent Trump-era sanctions imposed on the Middle Eastern country.
Pompeo informed Al Arabiya: What I can’t understand is how any administration could believe that if you release the sanctions and you lift the pressure campaign from the Iranians, why you would expect that they would behave in a way that’s consistent with international norms.
He also said: If you’re not prepared to put pressure on the Iranians to cease their malign activity, their support for the Houthi rebels, their political support, their diplomatic support, their military support in terms of providing them weapon systems and capabilities resource supports, all the things that the Iranians have done over the past years if you don’t deny the Iranians are able to do that, I don’t know how this ends.
Biden administration and lifting sanctions
According to present and former US officials and others knows the issue, the Biden administration considered lifting sanctions in an effort to try and push Iran to obey with the 2015 nuclear deal.
American officials rejected to discuss any sanctions are being considered for elimination. However; they have affirmed that they are open to lifting non-nuclear sanctions, like as those linked to terrorism, missile development and human rights, and also those related to the nuclear program.
Pompeo also declared that returning from the designation of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis as terrorists is an enormous mistake, indicating that this would put not only ally countries in danger but Americans in the region also. He also informed Al Arabiya that no one disputes that the Houthis are terrorists, adding that the administration didn’t say we’re lifting these sanctions today because they are no longer terrorists. They lifted them because they wanted to appease the Ayatollah, and they want to appease the mullahs in Iran. That’s dangerous.
According to him, the Iranians would take this as an indication of weakness that would constitute a real risk to our Arab partners, to our Israeli partners and friends, and to Americans traveling throughout the world.
In fact, Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia by firing ballistic missiles and using explosive-laden drones to target civilians in the Kingdom. However and according to the Arab Coalition, most assaults have been thwarted.
Pompeo continue to say: I don’t know how you convince the Houthis not to take that weaponry and fire missiles into southern Saudi Arabia to put frankly Americans who are traveling in Saudi Arabia at risk. I don’t understand. I have no idea how the Biden administration thinks they’re going to end that war without completely appeasing the Iranians, with respect to Yemen.
