Pompeo: US goal with allies to stop Iran’s threats

Washington is seeking to work with as many allies as possible to reach a new deal to stop Iran's nuclear and non-nuclear threats, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.

The United States’ top diplomat’s statement comes just days after he had threatened to impose the “strongest sanctions in history” against Iran if the country’s leadership did not change the course of its foreign and domestic policy and laid out a 12-point list of demands for Tehran to comply with.

“We will apply unprecedented financial pressure, coordinate with our [Department of Defense] colleagues on deterrence efforts, support the Iranian people perhaps most importantly, and hold out the prospect for a new deal with Iran – it simply needs to change its behavior,” Pompeo said on Wednesday during his opening statement before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“We seek to work with as many partners, friends, allies as possible to achieve the common objective of stopping all of Iran’s nuclear and non-nuclear threats,” he added.

Weeks after the US pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, Pompeo spelled out a hardline approach toward Tehran that included working closely with the Pentagon and regional allies to contain Iran.