Pompeo threatens Iran with ‘strongest sanctions ever’ if it doesn’t comply with revised nuclear deal

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a steep list of demands on Monday that he said should be included in a nuclear treaty with Iran to replace the Obama-era deal, threatening “the strongest sanctions in history” if Iran does not change course.

Following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the deal, the United States will ensure “Iran has no possible path to a nuclear weapon – ever,” Pompeo said. As he called for a better agreement to constrain Iran’s activities, he said the US would “apply unprecedented financial pressure” to bring Tehran back to the table.

“These will end up being the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are complete,” Pompeo said in a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation, his first major policy speech since taking over as top diplomat.

Pompeo’s list of 12 requirements included items that Iran is unlikely to agree with.

He said Iran must “stop enrichment” of uranium, which was allowed under the 2015 deal. Iran must also allow “unqualified access to all [nuclear] sites”, Pompeo said, alluding to military sites that were off limits under the 2015 deal except under specific circumstances. To that end, he also said Iran must declare all previous efforts to build a nuclear weapon, reopening an issue that the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency has already considered closed.

Pompeo also demanded that Iran cease from a range of activities throughout the Middle East that have long drawn the ire of the US and its allies – mainly Israel and Saudi Arabia. He said Iran must end support for Houthi rebels in Yemen, “withdraw all forces” from Syria, halt support for Hezbollah and stop threatening Israel.