After the CAATSA harakiri by the Americans on S400 issue with India and even their NATO ally, now the American Administration is once again entering a new boxing rink …..IRAN ACTION GROUP.
Shri Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State has formed a dedicated group to coordinate and run US policy toward Iran as the Trump administration moves ahead with efforts to force changes in the Islamic Republic’s behaviour after withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. The group will be headed by Brian Hook, who is currently the State Department’s director of policy planning.
Hook led the Trump administration’s ultimately unsuccessful attempt to negotiate changes to the nuclear deal with European allies before Trump decided to pull out of the accord.
After the withdrawal announcement,
US went ahead and re-imposed sanctions that were eased under the deal and is steadily ramping up pressure on Iran to try to get it to stop what it describes as “malign activities” in the region.
In addition to its nuclear and missile programmes, the administration has repeatedly criticised Iran for supporting Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, Al Houthi militants in Yemen and anti-Israel groups.
It has also in recent weeks stepped up criticism of Iran’s human rights record and is also unsuccessfully pressurising other nations to curb their imports of Iranian oil.
The American administration even has the gumption to warn countries like China and India, both prominent oil customers of Iran that they will face US sanctions in November unless they significantly reduce their imports with an eye on eliminating them entirely.
Both India and China have summarily rejected the unilateral sanction. Both countries are fully prepared to take on Trump on this issue and Hook may receive Trump is not realizing what China and India combined can do to his policies.
The American Administration is not even sparing close allies. It has also told businesses and governments in Europe that they may also be subject to penalties if they violate, ignore or attempt to subvert the re-imposed US sanctions.
In his new job, Hook has been given the task to oversee implementation of administration’s entire Iran implementable policy.
Pompeo and other officials have denied that the administration is seeking to foment regime change in Iran and maintain they only want to see the government change course.
Pompeo created a similar group dedicated to working on North Korea policy while he was director of the CIA.
