Having visited Brussels earlier this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took to Twitter Friday to demand that Britain, France, and Germany, the three EU members in the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, take “decisive actions” against Iran.
Pompeo objected to Iran’s promise to develop more efficient centrifuges for its civilian enrichment of uranium. Pompeo called this “nuclear extortion” and insisted all civilized nations must stop them.
Pompeo has always been one of the most hawkish Trump cabinet members on Iran, and looks to spin Iranian actions as severely as possible. In practice, the EU nations have reacted very little to the Iranian announcement, considering it largely immaterial.
Iran and the remaining parties of the nuclear deal are trying to save the deal in the absence of the US. Iran has tried to use minor technical violations like this as leverage to push the other side to come through with sanctions relief and other incentives faster. So far, however, US banking sanctions have blocked most such efforts.
Pompeo: EU Nations Must Take ‘Decisive Actions’ Against Iran
Accuses Iran of 'nuclear extortion' for trying to improve centrifuges
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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