Pompeo warns EU on Iran sanctions
The United States has warned its European allies they will have to take part in the ‘‘strongest sanctions in history’’ against Iran or face the consequences, as it took a tough line on the regime.
Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, gave a sweeping list of 12 demands that Iran would have to accept as the basis for any new accord after Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal earlier this month.
Pompeo, in his first major foreign policy address since becoming the top US diplomat, vowed to ‘‘crush’’ Iran’s proxies and operatives around the world. The new deal he proposed included demands to curb Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and its expansionist moves in the Middle East.
Hassan Rowhani, the Iranian president, immediately rejected it, saying: ‘‘The world today does not accept America to decide for the world.’’
Pompeo’s plan would start with ‘‘unprecedented financial pressure’’ aimed at getting Iran back to the negotiating table, and Pompeo said specialists would be sent to allied countries to explain the US approach.
However, Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, said: ‘‘The prospect of a new jumbo Iran treaty is going to be very, very difficult.’’
Speaking in Buenos Aires ahead of a series of meetings at the G20 summit, Johnson said the Britain would ‘‘do everything we possibly can’’ to prevent UK businesses from being damaged by Washington’s sanctions.
Companies in the European Union have taken much more advantage of the 2015 waiving of sanctions on Iran than those in the United States.
In response to the US withdrawal from the deal the EU has moved to impose a ‘‘blocking statute’’ that would protect European businesses.
Pompeo said: ‘‘We understand that our re-imposition of sanctions, and the coming pressure campaign on the Iranian regime, will pose financial and economic difficulties for a number of our friends.
‘‘We want to hear their concerns. But, you know, we will hold those doing prohibited business in Iran to account. There are American companies who would love to do business with Iran, there’s a huge market. But everyone’s going to have to participate.’’
Pompeo called the 2015 deal a ‘‘loser’’ and a ‘‘bad bet for the US, Europe and the world,’’ saying it had allowed Iran to increase its malign influence across the Middle East on the back of funding from renewed trade with the West.
Vowing to meet that with ‘‘steely resolve’’ Pompeo listed the 12 US requirements for a deal. Those included that Iran must ‘‘stop enrichment’’ of uranium, which was allowed within strict limitations under the 2015 deal.
Iran must also allow nuclear inspectors ‘‘unqualified access’’, declare previous efforts to build a nuclear weapon, end support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen, withdraw all forces from Syria, halt backing for Hizbollah and stop threatening Israel. It must also release all US citizens missing in Iran.
Pompeo said if Iran made ‘‘major changes’’ the US would be willing to lift all sanctions, restoring full diplomatic and commercial ties, and help it reintegrate into the global financial system.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, praised Mr Pompeo’s ‘‘very strong position’’. He added: ‘‘We believe it’s the only policy that can ultimately guarantee the security of the Middle East and peace in our region.’’– Telegraph Group