Emphasis by President Trump and Secretary of State on 'Countering Iran's Hostile Actions'

Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo emphasized the need to counter what they termed Iran's 'hostile actions' during the swearing-in ceremony of the new U.S. Secretary of State. Mike Pompeo, on May 1, participated in the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. State Department alongside Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. In his speech, the U.S. President expressed his support for his new Secretary of State and described his start in the position as an 'extraordinary beginning.' Both Trump and Pompeo dedicated part of their speeches to Iran. The U.S. President stated, 'We will confront all of Iran's hostile actions and will make decisions regarding the next steps concerning the flawed JCPOA.' U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also allocated part of his speech to Iran, echoing his boss's sentiments by saying, 'We will confront any hostile actions from Iran and will decide on the next steps regarding the JCPOA.' Trump, a staunch critic of the nuclear deal with Iran, has given U.S. allies until May 12 to find a way to 'fix the flaws' of the JCPOA; otherwise, he will refrain from suspending relevant sanctions. According to Trump, meeting four main conditions will lead to remaining in the agreement: immediate and complete inspections by international inspectors, making the restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program permanent, restrictions and prohibitions on the Islamic Republic's missile program, and Iran guaranteeing that it will never approach the development of nuclear weapons. Iranian officials have so far refused to accept renegotiation of the JCPOA. America's European allies, who reached an agreement with Iran during Barack Obama's administration, are calling for the preservation of the existing agreement. Trump and Pompeo also dedicated part of their speeches to the topic of negotiations with North Korea and the necessity of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, holding Russia accountable for its 'violent actions,' making economic relations between China and the U.S. fairer, and transferring the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.