Tillerson: Our Policy Supports a Peaceful Transition of Power in Iran

Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the United States' policy is to support elements within Iran that lead to a peaceful change of government. Speaking on Wednesday, June 14, at the House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the budget and policies of his department, he described the nuclear deal with Iran as a 'weak agreement' after reviewing the JCPOA. In response to Republican Senator Ted Poe's question about regime change in Iran and listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, Tillerson said, 'U.S. foreign policy regarding Iran is still being formulated and has not yet been presented to the President.' He also characterized Iran as a source of 'instability' in the region and stated that 'the U.S. has acted against Iranian hegemony.' The Secretary of State assessed the imposition of new sanctions against Iranian individuals in this context. Tillerson emphasized that the State Department is also examining the diplomatic and international consequences of placing the entire IRGC on the list of terrorist organizations. He clarified: 'Our policy regarding Iran is to reject this hegemony. It is to curb Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons and support elements within Iran that lead to a peaceful transition of this government. These elements are there.' The Secretary of State did not mention these elements and stated that he has no plans to meet with Iranians. Tillerson also said that the State Department will do everything in its power to secure the release of American prisoners in Iran. President Donald Trump previously stated that the Iranian government poses a threat to the entire region. He emphasized that Iran is a threat to peace and stability in the Middle East. This comes as former President Barack Obama had distanced himself from a regime change policy in favor of engagement with Iran, which ultimately led to the nuclear agreement in July 2015 that resulted in a significant reduction of Iran's nuclear activities. In this context, John Kerry warned about the 'dangerous consequences' of any new sanctions against Iran. Araqchi stated that Iran views the implementation of U.S. sanctions as a violation of the JCPOA. Zarif asserted that the U.S. will ultimately adhere to the JCPOA. Khamenei stated that experiences such as not trusting the U.S. should be used in managing the country. Tillerson welcomed the Senate's sanctions against Iran. Reza Najafi noted that the implementation of U.S. commitments under the JCPOA is unacceptable for Iran.