Pompeo Criticizes JCPOA and Iran's Activities in the Region in His Statement to the Senate

Mike Pompeo, Rex Tillerson's successor at the U.S. State Department, criticized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and Iran's activities in the Middle East during his appearance before a Senate committee on Thursday, emphasizing cooperation with U.S. allies. Reports on Mr. Pompeo's remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are based on excerpts released by the White House on Wednesday, April 11. After months of media speculation about Rex Tillerson's fate at the State Department, Donald Trump dismissed him from his position on Tuesday, March 13, and appointed Mike Pompeo, the head of the CIA, as his successor. Now, Mike Pompeo is set to respond to questions from senators who will vote on his appointment to this new position. Reuters reports that, according to excerpts of his remarks released prior to his appearance, Mr. Pompeo is expected to emphasize cooperation with America's Western allies 'to amend and fix' the JCPOA. He also notes that if confirmed by the Senate, he will engage in discussions with U.S. allies regarding the JCPOA at the upcoming G7 industrialized nations meeting and NATO summit later this month. Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the JCPOA since the start of his 2016 election campaign and has continued to maintain his criticisms. Following these criticisms, Mr. Trump set a two-month deadline for addressing the 'deficiencies' he identified in the JCPOA, threatening that without their resolution, he would not extend the suspension of sanctions against Iran and would withdraw from the nuclear agreement. This deadline expires on May 12. In this context, France, Britain, and Germany are in contact with the U.S. government to explore what actions might encourage Donald Trump to extend the suspension of sanctions against Iran. According to Mr. Trump, he and Mike Pompeo share the same 'wavelength' regarding the JCPOA, and the disagreement over whether to continue or not approve the JCPOA was cited as one of the reasons for Rex Tillerson's dismissal last month. Following Pompeo's announcement as the new Secretary of State, many analysts, including those in Israeli media, wrote that his presence in this position, with his firm and clear views against the JCPOA, is significant for advancing the shared goals of the Israeli and U.S. governments against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Many also described him as 'hawkish' and 'pro-war,' especially with Iran and North Korea. This point is mentioned in Mike Pompeo's statement to the Senate committee, where he states that he considers war 'always the last resort.' In this statement, he says: 'I prefer to achieve the President's foreign policy goals through decisive and continuous diplomacy rather than by sending young men and women into battle.' Mike Pompeo's statement, which will be read at the beginning of the Senate session, also notes that the time for 'softness' with Russia has ended, and a 'tougher policy' must be adopted toward Moscow. Reuters, citing members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, states that they are expected to challenge Mike Pompeo on the Trump administration's strategy regarding Syria, U.S. relations with Russia, North Korea's nuclear activities, and China's international influence.