Pompeo to Iran: Comply or you’ll be sorry

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Monday that the United States is prepared to impose “the strongest sanctions in history” if Iran doesn’t change its belligerent ways.

“Iran will never again have carte blanche to dominate the Middle East,” Pompeo said at The Heritage Foundation in Washington.

“This is just the beginning. The sting of sanctions will be painful. These will be the strongest sanctions in history when complete.”

Pompeo laid out a dozen changes the US is demanding of the Iranian regime — from respecting the sovereignty of the Iraqi government to pulling troops out of Syria.

He said Iran must also release all American prisoners and prisoners of US allies.

A number of provisions relate to Iran’s nuclear ambitions as well, with Pompeo vowing that the country would have “no possible path to a nuclear weapon, ever.”

If Iran does play ball, Pompeo promised that the US would open diplomatic relations with Tehran and help it fully rejoin the world economy.

Iran is unlikely to comply with the full list of demands, which include giving the International Atomic Energy Agency complete access to all its nuclear sites.

In response to the secretary of state’s speech, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Pompeo’s remarks show the US is after “regime change” in Iran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just dramatically upped the ante Iran must pay to forestall a US offensive meant to destroy its economy and crush its terrorist proxies around the globe. “Every country will have to participate,” Pompeo noted, and if they don’t, “they know where we stand.”

It sounds good — and if it succeeds, the Trump administration will have made the world a safer place. But making it work will require a concerted effort by the entire administration.

Speaking at The Heritage Foundation, Pompeo unveiled a list of 12 tough demands, most of which Tehran is unlikely to accept — at least not without pressure.

They include ending all nuclear enrichment programs, closing its heavy-water reactor, opening all military sites to full inspections and ending ballistic-missile tests.

And, unlike the 2015 deal from which Trump has withdrawn, the conditions aren’t limited to nuclear matters. They also include an end to Iran’s support of terror groups and its campaign of aggression, in- cluding at sea and in cyberspace,

Iran, Pompeo warned, “will be forced to make a choice: either fight to keep its economy off life-support at home or keep squandering precious wealth on fights abroad. It does not have the resources to do both.”

All this is a deliberate slap in the face to two central myths of the Obama deal: that it would prompt Iran’s government to moderate and that Tehran’s regional meddling doesn’t matter as much as temporary limits on its nuke program. The results of that approach include the horror that is Syria.

Still, Pompeo held out an olive branch: If Tehran agrees, the United States will lift all sanctions, re-establish diplomatic relations and provide advanced technology.

And while Europe isn’t on board, multinational corporations have already signaled their intent to comply with reimposed US sanctions.

Pompeo has made clear that this administration means to not just turn its back on the Obama deal but also to correct its substantial flaws. It won’t be easy — but it’s a major step that was long overdue.