US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US is "redoubling not only our diplomatic but our commercial efforts to put real pressure on Iran".
He also claimed that the US decision to withdraw troops from Syria did not jeopardise efforts to counter threats in the Middle East, which he alleged stem from Daesh* and Iran.
READ MORE: Iran Slams EU for Lack of Progress in Sidestepping US Sanctions — Reports
Jordan became the first destination of Pompeo’s 8-day Mideast trip, which is intended to promote the US position on Iran among the states he is to visit. Besides Jordan, Pompeo will have a stop in Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait, according to the US State Department’s website.
Just landed in Jordan, my first stop on an 8-day Mideast tour. Looking forward to discussing the U.S. withdrawal from #Syria and our continuing #defeatISIS campaign. Our tactics have changed, not the mission! pic.twitter.com/xNh9a6ml2x
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 8, 2019
Mike Pompeo announced on Twitter earlier that he would send a "clear message" to the US’ "friends and partners", and that Washington is "committed to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities".
Heading to the Middle East today to send a clear message to our friends and partners that the U.S. is committed to the region, committed to #defeatISIS, and committed to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities. pic.twitter.com/TUHv3BeNHh
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 7, 2019
The US decision to withdraw from the JCPOA was not supported by other signatories to the deal — China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union — which insisted that Iran was respecting its part of the deal.
*Daesh, also known as ISIS/IS/Islamic State, is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.
