US ‘deeply concerned’ about Iran’s plots
TRUMP TO DITCH NUCLEAR DEAL IF NO CHANGES ARE MADE — POMPEO
The United States is “deeply concerned” by Iran’s ambition to dominate the Middle East, new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a flying visit yesterday. “We remain deeply concerned about Iran’s dangerous escalation of threats ...”, Pompeo said.
Earlier, in Riyadh, he reassured Saudi Arabia that the United States would abandon the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reached under President Donald Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, unless talks with European partners yield improvements to ensure Tehran never possesses nuclear weapons. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran deal — something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties.
“Iran destabilises this entire region. It supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to Al Houthi rebels in Yemen. It supports the murderous [Bashar Al] Assad regime as well,” Pompeo said in joint remarks with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir.
Senior State Department officials had said Pompeo, in discussions with Saudi leaders, would discuss Iran’s behaviour in the region and call for sanctions to curb its ballistic missile programme, a sentiment echoed by his Saudi counterpart. Al Jubeir said the kingdom “supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran.”
Yemen’s Al Houthi militia has fired over 100 missiles into Saudi Arabia, the latest salvo killing a man on Saturday in the southern Saudi province of Jizan.
Addressing the Gulf dispute with Qatar over Doha’s support for terrorists, Pompeo told reporters after leaving Riyadh: “We are hopeful that they will, in their own way, figure out how to remove the dispute between them.”
The visit by Pompeo to Saudi Arabia was hailed by observers as an indication of the US commitment to the defence of the kingdom, and other friends and partners in the region. “We in the Arabian Gulf welcome any steps that would rein in Iran’s reckless escalation and ominous expansionist policies,” Mohammad Jaber, a Manama-based analyst, told Gulf News.
Iran destabilises this entire region. It supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to Al Houthi rebels in Yemen. It supports the murderous [Bashar Al] Assad regime as well.” Mike Pompeo | US Secretary of State
We will be waiting for May 12 to see if President Donald Trump will really act on his pledge to review the nuclear deal ... to make Tehran understand it cannot have a free hand in the region after sanctions were lifted in 2015 as part of the nuclear deal.”
Mohammad Jaber | Analyst
The new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reassured Saudi Arabia that the United States would abandon the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reached under President Donald Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, unless there is an agreement in talks with European partners to improve it to make sure the Islamic republic never possesses nuclear weapons.
“Iran destabilises this entire region,” Pompeo said in a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir.
“It supports proxy militias and terrorist groups. It is an arms dealer to Al Houthi rebels in Yemen. It supports the murderous Al Assad regime (in Syria) as well.”
Pompeo also addressed the rift between some Gulf countries and Qatar: “Gulf unity is necessary and we need to achieve it.”
Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar last June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and arch-rival Iran on the other side of the Gulf.
Committed to Saudi Arabia
Pompeo met briefly with Saudi King Salman yesterday before heading directly to Occupied Jerusalem for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The visit by Pompeo was hailed by observers as an indi- cation of the US commitment to the defence of Saudi Arabia, and other friends and partners in the region, they said.
“We in the Arabian Gulf welcome any steps that would rein in Iran’s reckless escalation and ominous expansionist policies,” Mohammad Jaber, an analyst, said in Manama.
“We are also glad to see the US play a more active role in dealing with the situation sensibly, based on hard facts, and not on emotional inclinations or in the sole interests of the West.”
The visit also sent a strong signal the US could this time be serious about addressing the issue with one of its major partners in the region.
“We have heard a lot of war cries in the past, but no concrete [action] was ever taken. Now Pompeo gives the impression he is serious about the matter,” said Jaber.
“People in the Gulf have repeatedly said the nuclear deal with Iran was not as good some countries thought because it did not take into consideration the interests of the states in the region”
Pompeo started his maiden trip as Secretary of State on Friday with a meeting with Nato foreign ministers at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
There, he repeated Trump’s pledge to withdraw from the Iran deal unless it was significantly strengthened.
“We really want to move beyond the daily threats and acts of terror carried out by proxy militias and terror groups acting on behalf of Iran as it seeks to expand its hegemony,” Jaber said.
Waiting for Trump move
“We will be waiting for May 12 to see if President Donald Trump will really act on his pledge to review the nuclear deal ... to make Tehran understand it cannot have a free hand in the region after sanctions were lifted in 2015 as part of the nuclear deal.”
Meanwhile, in Moscow, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the Trump administration of reneging on US obligations, saying demands for changes to the deal signed by the US and five other world powers were “unacceptable”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also emphasised the “in- violability” of the deal.
“Otherwise, there will be no platform for continuing contacts and for continuing dialogue,” he told reporters Saturday.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both used trips to Washington last week to lobby Trump not to walk away from the agreement, which they fear could encourage Iran to resume its nuclear programme.
But Trump has decried what he sees as “terrible flaws” in the accord, including that it does not address Iran’s ballistic missile programme or its support for militant groups elsewhere in the Middle East.
Shortly before Pompeo arrived on Saturday in Riyadh, Iran-backed Al Houthi militants in Yemen fired eight ballistic missiles at the southern Saudi city of Jizan.
Saudi Arabia, which is engaged in a war against Al Houthi militants, said its air defences intercepted four of the missiles.
But they said shrapnel from the attack killed a civilian and damaged two homes.
Senior officials travelling with Pompeo accuse Iran of supplying the munitions and said the visit was also intended to press for more sanctions on individuals, businesses and government
agencies associated with Iran’s missile programme.
US officials told reporters Pompeo wanted to reassure Saudi leaders of Washington’s commitment to its allies in the Middle East. “The situation in the Middle East and the region is very volatile and therefore there is a need for great attention and positive engagement,” Fareed Ahmad, a Bahraini analyst, said.