Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised to unleash the “strongest sanctions in history” on Iran this week, saying the Trump administration is poised to impose “unprecedented” penalties to force Tehran to abandon its weapons programs.
Pompeo was speaking at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC on Monday when he vowed to tackle Iran’s nuclear ambitions directly; saying the US was prepared to apply “unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime.”
“We will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime. The leaders in Tehran will have no doubt about our seriousness,” Pompeo said. “The sting of sanctions will be painful if the regime doesn’t change.”
“These will indeed end up being the strongest sanctions in history when we are complete,” he added.
The Secretary of State then called on European leaders to join the United States in pressuring the Islamic Republic to abandon its nuclear ambitions, saying “everyone’s going to have to participate in this.”
h/t Jerusalem Post
TEHRAN'S TOUGH TALK: Iran Threatens to Strike U.S. Bases in the Middle East
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard official warned the United States that Tehran possesses the advanced missile technology needed to strike American military bases throughout the Middle East, adding their rockets could “strike targets” over 2,000km away.
The head of the IRGC made the unprovoked warning earlier Tuesday, saying any aggression by the United States or Israel in the region would be “responded” to with a barrage of Iranian medium-range ballistic missiles.
“Based on the policies specified by the Leader [Ayatollah Khamenei], the range of our missiles is limited to 2,000km, but we have the capability to increase the range,” IRGC Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari said. “At present it [this distance] is sufficient because the Americans are in a 2,000 km radius from our country and their attacks will be responded.”
Tensions between Washington and Tehran are at an all-time high after President Trump announced earlier this month that his administration would not certify the Iranian nuclear agreement; imposing harsh sanctions and new restrictions on the already-isolated Islamic republic.
“I am authorizing the Treasury Department to further sanction the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its support for terrorism and to apply sanctions to its officials, agents, and affiliates,” said the President. “I urge our allies to join us in taking strong actions to curb Iran’s continued dangerous and destabilizing behavior.”
TEHRAN’S TANTRUM: Iran Pledges to ‘RESTART NUCLEAR PROGRAM’ If Deal Stalls
Iranian officials vowed to “restart” their nuclear program on a massive-scale should the international treaty collapse; accusing the Trump administration of “dragging the Middle East into chaos.”
Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif released an official statement regarding the failing nuclear deal Friday, claiming his government was poised to restart the banned weapons program on an “industrial scale” should other nations pull-out from the agreement.
Zarif went on to blast President Trump for his “ignorance and folly” and announced upcoming visits to world capitals to help prop-up the international pact.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel endorsed the deal during a speech Friday, saying the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw would be hard to overcome because a “huge economic power has left.”
“We hope we can, but there are a lot of things playing a role in this,” she added. “We will have to discuss that with Iran.”