The U.S. Will Hold a Global Conference on Iran Next Month

Fox News reported on Friday, January 21, citing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that a global conference "on Iran" will be held next month. This global conference, which the United States will host and which Fox News has described as "continuation of the maximum pressure campaign" on the Islamic Republic, is set to take place in Poland in a month. Fox News reported that the purpose of this conference, according to the U.S. Secretary of State, is specifically to "promote stability and freedom in the Middle East with an emphasis on Iran's regional influence." On Wednesday night, after stops in Jordan and Iraq, the Secretary of State arrived in Cairo and on Friday delivered a speech in the Egyptian capital outlining the U.S. government's policy in the Middle East, dedicating a large portion of his speech to addressing the issue of countering the expansion of the Islamic Republic of Iran's influence in the region. An initial statement from the U.S. State Department indicated that Mr. Pompeo would visit Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait, but he also made an unannounced visit to Iraq during his trip. Before starting his trip, the Secretary of State had equated the defeat of ISIS with the process of countering Iran, stating that a regional coalition would be formed for this purpose. In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Mr. Pompeo emphasized that "a key element" to be discussed at next month's conference will be ensuring that "Iran does not have a destabilizing effect [in the region]." According to Mr. Pompeo, "dozens" of countries will gather at the conference on February 13 and 14, and February 24 and 25, "countries from around the world." The U.S. State Department also stated on Friday that the participating countries share common interests in establishing stability in the Middle East. The statement emphasized that a range of critical issues, including terrorism, extremism, missile development and non-proliferation, maritime security and trade, and threats posed by proxy groups in the region, will be discussed at this international meeting. The phrase "destabilizing effect" of Iran in the region has been repeatedly emphasized by officials of the Trump administration and by Trump himself, especially in relation to the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. When the U.S. President announced the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in May of this year, he stated that this agreement did not cover Iran's missile tests and Tehran's influence in the region and the world. For this reason, U.S. officials say they have launched the "maximum pressure campaign" to ultimately bring the Islamic Republic back to the negotiating table, negotiations that are expected to lead to a more comprehensive agreement than the JCPOA. U.S. sanctions were reinstated in two rounds after the withdrawal from the JCPOA, with the latest round including severe oil and financial sanctions. The U.S. claims it ultimately intends to reduce Iran's oil sales to zero. However, Islamic Republic leaders, including Hassan Rouhani, assert that Iran will continue its oil exports.