Pompeo to ‘Post’: Iran unwound nuke deal in a matter of months

It would be foolish for the Biden administration to return the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal when they can see the Islamic Republic was able to unwind from the nuclear limitations in a mere matter of months, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has told The Jerusalem Post.

Pompeo was addressing questions about whether Trump administration sanctions on Iran were effective when one consequence was a jump to higher levels of uranium enrichment, such as the 20% and 60% levels.

“Regarding the level of enrichment issue – the fact that now they are at 60% doesn’t prove the decision to withdraw from the JCPOA was a mistake. A commitment not to enrich when you have the capacity to do research on advanced, more capable centrifuges, is folly,” he said.

The former secretary of state and CIA director continued, “If I have the capacity to do centrifuges, I can turn up the pressure. You can enrich anytime you choose: in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2029. It is foolish to think that for anything which you can do in a matter of months, you should sacrifice: 1) billions of dollars, 2) allow assassinations throughout Europe, 3) allow the missile program to develop and 4) allow terror in the Middle East.”

“It is foolish and naïve. I hope the Biden administration will have learned its lesson,” he added.