Orlando, Florida – Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday that the Biden government’s measures to lift the momentum for sanctions on Iran and revoke a terrorist declaration on Iran-backed Houthis were precursors to re-entering what he described as the “nut” 2015 nuclear agreement.
Pompeo spoke to Fox News on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and was asked about the recent announcement by the Biden government that it will abandon a Trump-era push to “reverse” UN sanctions – including the expiration of arms embargo – the regime in Tehran.
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The Trump administration tried to lift the sanctions, but saw opposition from the UN Security Council, which argued that since the U.S. had abandoned the 2015 deal with Iran, they could not use the mechanism. The Biden government said recently that it was abandoning that impulse.
“Our idea was that we should not allow Iran to buy and sell weapons on the open market, to buy Russian and Chinese technology and state-of-the-art military equipment,” Pompeo told Fox. “I can’t understand why, in my life, any government would think that this was a good idea. “
He then referred to the government’s decision to revoke the Trump administration’s terrorist designation to Iran-backed Houthis, who are fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.
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A recent UN report said there was a “growing body” of evidence showing that the Iranian regime is sending weapons and weapon components to the Houthis – including anti-tank missiles, sniper rifles and RPB launchers, all with markings consistent with those made in Iran.
Pompeo doubled over the previous Houthis government’s assessment of terrorists: “I saw no rational being looking at the Houthis and saying that they are not terrorists.”
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The Biden government made a series of moves in stark contrast to the Trump administration – which left the 2015 agreement and pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” in Tehran. Biden indicated that his government will seek to resume the business and believes that the previous measures fit this plan.
“I think all of these are the precursors to their return to this crazy and miserable nuclear business in which they got involved, which presented Iran with a very clear path to a nuclear program,” he said. “Our government said we wouldn’t do that, we said ‘no way’ we tore up the JCPOA, we put enormous pressure on the Iranian regime – I hope the American people will demand that this government do the same.”
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Iranian dissidents recently described the regime as its “weakest point” in its history. Pompeo agreed with this assessment because of the “enormous pressure” placed on Iran by the Trump administration, but warned that the regime would not remain that way if the policy of maximum pressure was ended.
“Not if you give them pallets of money, don’t allow trade to be reactivated, don’t allow them to buy and sell weapons with the Chinese and the Russians,” he said. “No, you’re going to take the pressure off of these kleptocrats and theocratic leaders in Iran who aim to not only destroy the ‘little Satan’ in Israel and the ‘big Satan’ in America, but to do enormous damage to their own people.”