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RFL/RE – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington will impose “the strongest sanctions in history [on Iran] once they come into full force” and that the “sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change its course.”
Pompeo set 12 conditions for Iran to follow in order for the United States to agree to a new nuclear deal with Tehran in a speech in Washington on May 21 at the Heritage Foundation think tank.
His speech comes almost two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.
Pompeo said the deal was a “loser” that had “huge negative repercussions,” adding that Iran had “advanced its march across the Middle East” since the signing of the 2015 deal.
He said the sanctions will apply “unprecedented financial pressure” on Iran, which he called the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism.
Pompeo said Iran will be “battling to keep its economy alive” under the sanctions and will have to choose between maintaining its economy or sponsoring terrorist and insurgent groups in countries like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
He blamed the money that the Iranian government received after sanctions ended as a “newfound treasure” that it used to sponsor those groups.
Pompeo said if Iran makes “major changes,” the U.S. would be willing to lift all sanctions.
He did not give a timetable for when the sanctions would be imposed.
