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A US official accompanying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration hopes that “the next administration will continue its approach to the Iran docket, and the maximum pressure campaign is against it.”
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US Official Accompanies Pompeo On Tour: Trump Administration Has For Several Years Focused On Maximum Pressure Campaign Against Iran
The administration of US President Donald Trump hopes the next administration will continue its approach to the Iran dossier and continue the campaign of “maximum pressure” on it, Agence France-Presse reported, according to a US official accompanying the Iranian secretary. State Mike Pompeo on his tour abroad, today Sunday.
Observers hope that Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will seek to return the United States to the nuclear deal signed with Iran during the era of Barack Obama, from which Trump withdrew, and “negotiate a repeal of the tough economic sanctions” imposed by Washington. in the last 3 years to Iran.
The official, who asked not to be named, told reporters in Abu Dhabi, one of the stops on Pompeo’s European and Middle East tour, as if admitting that Trump had already lost the election and that the Biden administration would take office on January 20, despite the current president’s refusal to accept the results.
“It is no secret to anyone that the administration (led by Trump) has focused for several years on this maximum pressure campaign against Iran,” the US official said.
He described that the campaign had achieved “tremendous success” that effectively “deprived the regime of billions of dollars”, which he claimed “would have gone to armed groups loyal to Tehran in the region.”
“I hope that this influence, which the administration has worked hard to obtain, will be used to force the Iranians to act like a normal state,” the foreign ministry official said.
Critics of Trump’s foreign policy accuse the Republican president of raising the level of tension with Iran in the oil-rich Gulf region to a point of no return, which could make it difficult for Biden to resume diplomatic tracks with Tehran.
The official spoke after Pompeo visited Abu Dhabi and Doha, and before heading to Riyadh.
Observers believe Saudi Arabia is concerned that the Biden administration will actually withdraw “from sanctions against Iran, return to the nuclear deal with it, limit arms sales, and press in the context of the rights issue.” .
However, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, said in an interview with “CNN” on Saturday that “the Kingdom deals with the President of the United States as a friend, whether Republican or Democratic.”
Al-Jubeir, who was the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States and foreign minister, added: “We deal with presidents as soon as they take office. We have great interests with the United States and I don’t expect there to be a major change regarding the American foreign policy. “
During his tour, Pompeo visited France, Turkey, Georgia, occupied Palestine, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, in about 10 days, before concluding it on Sunday night in Saudi Arabia with a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The minister insisted in all his talks that the need to combat the “influence of Iran” must be addressed.
In occupied Jerusalem, Pompeo issued a statement in which he considered that “the maximum pressure campaign against Iran continues to be very effective”, and warned that “in the coming weeks and months Washington will impose new sanctions on Iran.”
According to the State Department official, “this administration exists until January 20 and will continue to implement its policies until the end.”
He returned to the issue of sanctions on Iran and saluted “to keep the threat of military action under discussion,” echoing what Pompeo said in an interview with the Israeli newspaper “Jerusalem Post” two days ago about keeping “all options. on the table”.
The official was asked about the possibility of “classifying the Ansar Allah movement in Yemen as a terrorist organization”, and he declined to confirm or deny, saying that “Washington expects Ansar Allah to negotiate with the Saudis and the United Nations envoy. in good faith”.
The “Foreign Policy” newspaper revealed on November 17 that the Trump administration was preparing to classify the Yemeni “Ansar Allah” movement as a “terrorist organization before leaving office.”
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said: “Washington’s designation of Ansar Allah as a terrorist organization would be entirely appropriate.”
Farhan noted in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit that Saudi Arabia “has always supported full normalization with Israel.”
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