Pompeo: 'Iran's Threat' Has Brought Israel and Arab Countries Closer Together

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, emphasized on Thursday, February 14, at a press conference following the 'Security and Future of Peace in the Middle East' conference in Warsaw, alongside Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz, that 'Iran's threat' has brought Israel and Arab countries closer together. Pompeo stated that the U.S. is determined to convince all countries in the world that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cannot achieve their goals. According to the U.S. Secretary of State, during this conference, 'no country stood up to speak in support of Iran or deny the threat posed by Iran; there was no one to say that the U.S. position regarding the threat from the Iranian regime is incorrect or exaggerated.' Pompeo said that increasing sanctions pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran is 'an opportunity for the people of Iran' as well. He added that as long as Iran continues to support Hezbollah and does not stop its activities in Syria, Iraq, and Latin America, U.S. pressure on Tehran will continue. Pompeo noted that it is difficult to talk about Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria but did not mention Iran and its forces. The U.S. Secretary of State stated that Europe has shown cooperation with the U.S. in increasing pressure on Iran in many cases, including recently sanctioning Mahan Air, but Europe can still take more steps in cooperation with the U.S. against Iran. Pompeo also said that the Iranian regime will not be the U.S. negotiating partner unless it changes its behavior. He highlighted that the presence of representatives from Israel and Arab countries at the Warsaw conference was significant and that it was due to the threat posed by Iran that Israel and Arabs have come closer together. Pompeo described the presence of European and NATO member countries at the Warsaw conference as comprehensive. He also mentioned that issues related to North Korea were discussed in Warsaw, referring to the upcoming meeting between the U.S. President and the North Korean leader in Vietnam, stating that Washington is determined to go 'the farthest distance' in negotiations with the Pyongyang government. Polish Foreign Minister Czaputowicz expressed satisfaction that his country hosted the Warsaw conference, emphasizing that the Middle East deserves 'special attention.' He noted that issues related to Iran were among the topics discussed alongside matters concerning Yemen and Syria, and that the European Union and the U.S. agree on the role Iran should play in the Middle East and the world. Czaputowicz also emphasized the importance of the fact that representatives of Arab countries and Israel negotiated under one roof at this meeting. The head of Poland's foreign policy pointed out that details of the U.S. peace plan for peace between Israel and the Arabs were also presented to the attendees. The Polish Foreign Minister stated that this two-day conference established working groups to follow up on Middle Eastern issues, including combating terrorism and financing, strategies to prevent the spread of missile programs, Middle Eastern refugee issues, and air security. The two-day conference 'Security and Future of Peace in the Middle East' began on Wednesday, February 13, with the participation of Mike Pence, the Vice President, Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State, Jared Kushner, the senior advisor to the U.S. President, as well as the participation of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and foreign ministers and representatives from 60 other countries. Pence, in his remarks at the conference, called on America's European allies to withdraw from the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement with Iran, and criticized European efforts to reduce sanctions pressure on Iran. Pompeo also stated on the second day of the Warsaw conference that isolating Israel has been an old idea that should be set aside in favor of confronting Iran. He said that a new era of cooperation to face the challenges of the Middle East has begun, where no country can remain neutral. According to the U.S. Secretary of State, the Warsaw conference reflects Donald Trump's will for countries to participate in solving Middle Eastern crises. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, emphasized in his remarks on the second day of the conference that Iran is 'the main factor threatening peace, stability, and security in the region.' Netanyahu also told Pence on Thursday that his country is awaiting the 'Deal of the Century' peace plan prepared by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Palestinians have boycotted the Warsaw conference, stating that no one has the 'right' to address the Palestinian issue in their name. Iran has referred to the Poland conference as a 'Warsaw Circus' and pointed to the coincidence of the start of this conference with a terrorist incident on Wednesday in Sistan and Baluchestan province, where at least 27 members of the IRGC were killed and several others were injured. The Polish Foreign Ministry responded by emphasizing that its hosting of this conference was an effort to strengthen peace and stability in the Middle East and that 'no terrorist was present in Warsaw.'