The US Secretary of State sets up a new group to put pressure on Tehran and implement sanctions against the countries that trade with Iran. John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook are the "hawks" in the US administration. The day of the announcement falls on the anniversary of the coup against Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, raising questions about coincidences and similarities.
Washington (AsiaNews) – The new Iran Action Group (IAG) announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is designed to manufacture an international consensus for a war against Iran, this according to Trita Parsi, an Iranian-born Swedish academic and writer, founder of the National Iranian American Council, an organisation that encourages dialogue between Iran and the West.
In an article, published on Information Clearing House, Parsi states that "The Iran Action group will likely lead and intensify efforts to foment unrest in Iran, further creating tensions with the EU who view the destabilization of Iran as a direct national security threat to Europe.” Ultimately, Pompeo’s move “is putting the US closer to war with Iran”.
Yesterday, when Secretary Pompeo announced the Iran Action Group, he said that is designed to put “maximum pressure" on Iran and other countries that do business with it.
The group will be headed by Brian Hook, who was in charge of the failed effort to get support from US allies for Washington's decision in May to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.
Pompeo blames Iran for widespread violence, supporting the Syrian government and the Lebanese Hezbollah, for holding US citizens in prison. He also added that "Our goal is to reduce every country's import of Iranian oil to zero by November 4”.
According to analysts, Pompeo's stance coincides with the interests of Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of which are afraid of Iran’s growing political and economic influence in the Middle East.
For their part, China, India and Turkey appear set to continue buying Iranian oil. The European Union is trying to find ways to continue trade with Iran whilst avoiding US sanctions.
According to Trita Parsi, John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook are the hawks in the Trump administration. By contrast, the US president is more inclined towards a diplomatic solution.
Meanwhile, the economic situation in Iran is getting more difficult. "We have less hope," a businessman told AsiaNews.
In his piece, Parsi notes that Pompeo’s announcement falls on the anniversary of the 1953 coup organised by US and British secret services that removed then Iranian premier Mohammad Mossadeqh, who had nationalised the country’s oil industry at the expense of foreign interests.
Asked about the matter, Hook said that it was “pure coincidence".