Manama: Mahmood Rafique, Editor: The maximum pressure campaign on Iran should remain in place as nuclear Iran is not acceptable to the world, says Michael R. Pompeo, the US Secretary of State.
The US and its allies in the region have had managed to isolate Iran diplomatically, militarily and economically. Now Iran’s leadership is desperate to come to the negotiating table, adds Pompeo.
The US Secretary of State was speaking as he delivering remarks during the opening session of 16th edition of the IISS Manama Dialogue 2020 which kicks off on Friday, adding that President Trump’s foreign policy towards Iran has yielded positive results.
The salient features of the US foreign policy in the Middle East continues to keep Iran at a bay from acquiring the nuclear capability, hence, keeping the region safe and prosperous, he reiterates.
The Secretary of State says the myth that Israel-Palestine is the only issue in the Middle East’s peace was not correct while keeping an eye on Iran’s terrorist activities, interference in the internal affairs of the region’s sovereign countries have been loopholes in handling Iran for many years.
“The US will not allow not allow Iranian regime to destabilise the region and wants to put a lid on a proliferation of terrorist activities from Iran to its nieghbouring countries,” adds Pompeo.
At the outset, the US Secretary of State, who delivered his remarks remotely, admired the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for upholding Bahrain’s democratic and forward looking approach.
He also applauds the Kingdom’s ability for the hosting the 16th edition of the global security summit in Bahrain.
The Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE, which have established the diplomatic ties with Israel, according to the Secretary of the State are few but important milestones of the successful US foreign policy in the Middle East.
“The US signature successes in the Middle East demonstrate what happens when we get things right,” says Pompeo.
Also, he adds, for the first time Bahrain attends a trilateral meeting (Bahrain-USA and Israel) in presence of Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani and his Israeli counterpart.
Secretary Pompeo adds the agreement between the P5+1+EU and Iran on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal with Western nations was not well thought of treaty while on contrary it encouraged Iran to continue with its nefarious designs across the region.
The US Secretary of State warned that 20% enrichment of the uranium by Iran should not be allowed at any cost, which serves as a pivotal to the US foreign policy.
“Maximum pressure campaign should remain in place for not allowing Iran to attain the nuclear capability,” he said.
It cannot be, that granting Iran access to Western weapons and financing, is the right way forward,” the Secretary of the State emphasises.
However, Secretary Popmeo, would not speculate that how many other countries to sign Abraham Accord with Israel.
Referring to a question, the US Secretary of State shows his optimism on resolution of Saudis and Qatari standoff.
“We are hopeful that the dispute between Saudi and Qatar will be resolved soon. Every country has a history and a tradition that drives its domestic policies and how it interacts with other nations,” he said.
“These issue can be resolved bilaterally and US will continue to assist and facilitate to resolve the outstanding issues. I am out of speculation business and can’t say with a certainty who will be the next country to sign the Abraham accord as each country has a different history and culture and these are their sovereign decisions,” he says.
The diplomatic normalcy with Israel will bring more prosperity and security to the region, he adds.
The US Secretary of State renews the US commitment to Iraqi security saying that in return Iraqi Government should ensure the safety of the embassies in the green zone of Baghdad.
“We do not want ISIS to return to Iraq or Iran’s domination of it either, we want to have a balanced military presence in Iraq,” he says.
Secretary of State while alluding to the US-China policy warns that every nation should make a conscious decision while working with China which has expansionist designs.
“Our deep commercial ties have blinded us to China’s malign activities, we must take the risks of allowing it access to areas such as a telecommunications seriously,” he said.
Pompeo warns countries while allowing China’s access to areas including telecom and strategic infrastructure developments.
