Pompeo: I Hope a Military Attack on Iran Never Happens

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, warned Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons, stating that otherwise it would face the "wrath of the entire world." He also expressed hope that there would never be a need for military action against Iran. In an interview aired on NBC on Saturday, July 23, he referred to Washington's withdrawal from the Vienna nuclear agreement, saying that whatever happens regarding this agreement is in Iran's interest not to seek nuclear weapons. He stated, "I hope they understand that if they expand their nuclear program, they will provoke the anger of the entire world." Following the U.S. exit from the nuclear deal, Iran announced it had begun producing new centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility and is currently working to provide the necessary infrastructure. Tehran insists that all these actions are currently within the framework of the JCPOA. However, the U.S. Secretary of State stated that "if Iran increases its centrifuges, if it moves towards implementing a [nuclear] weapons program, then it will become unacceptable for the entire world, and it will lead to a path that I don’t think will be in Iran’s interest." Pompeo, however, indicated that he does not believe the U.S. will respond militarily to Iran. He stated, "When I talk about anger, don’t think I mean military action. When I talk about anger, I mean moral outrage and the economic pressure that will be imposed on them. That’s what I mean. I’m not talking about military action here. I truly hope that such an issue never occurs. It’s not in anyone’s interest." Pompeo ultimately noted that the U.S. will do everything it can to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He said that the U.S. President has left no ambiguity in his statements that Iran should not have the capability to acquire nuclear weapons. The U.S. has set 12 conditions for reaching a new nuclear agreement with Iran, including stopping uranium enrichment, shutting down heavy water facilities, halting ballistic missile development, and not supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. However, Iran has refused to accept these conditions, emphasizing that it is not willing to accept both sanctions and the limitations resulting from the JCPOA. In this context, Tehran is negotiating with Europe to obtain guarantees for the implementation of the JCPOA. Global powers have called for Iran to remain in the JCPOA.