Pompeo's Renewed Call to U.S. Allies to Join Iran Sanctions

One day after the re-implementation of U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic, the U.S. Secretary of State on Wednesday urged the country's allies to "join the U.S. and stop financing the leaders of Iran." Mike Pompeo, in a Twitter message published on Wednesday, August 8, described the Islamic Republic as a government that "is incompatible with global peace." Donald Trump, who has consistently criticized the nuclear deal known as the JCPOA since his 2016 election campaign, officially withdrew from the agreement last May. The U.S. President then signed an order on Monday to reinstate the first phase of sanctions against Iran, which took effect on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Europeans, especially the three countries of Britain, Germany, and France, continue to emphasize that the JCPOA remains in effect and that as long as Iran adheres to this agreement, they will continue to trade with Iran. In this context, the U.S. Secretary of State on Wednesday asked the allies to join the U.S. and "stop financing the leaders of Iran who are used to suppressing the Iranian people and fueling terrorism worldwide." This Twitter message is similar to a message Pompeo sent to American partners less than a month ago: "We ask our allies and partners to join the economic pressure campaign against the Iranian regime. We must cut off all financial resources that the regime uses to support terrorism and proxy wars." Mr. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that Iran, due to its "destabilizing" actions in the Middle East, including missile activities and support for regional militia groups, has not adhered to the spirit of the JCPOA. The Islamic Republic, on the other hand, has insisted that it has not violated this nuclear agreement, a claim that has been confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The U.S. Secretary of State's tweet was published hours after Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized the "dishonesty" of the U.S., accusing the country of "not adhering to any of its commitments." Despite U.S. requests for its allies to withdraw from the JCPOA and join the new wave of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, various countries, especially U.S. European allies, continue to emphasize the implementation of the JCPOA. In this context, Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister, warned on Wednesday that President Trump's decision to reinstate sanctions against Iran could further destabilize the Middle East and strengthen extremist forces in the region. Mr. Maas said in an interview with the "Passauer Neue Presse" newspaper: "We still think that abandoning the nuclear agreement with Iran is a mistake. We are fighting to [maintain] this agreement because it helps our goal of creating security and transparency in the region."