Pompeo speech an exercise in idiocy: Prof. Zonis

Marvin Zonis, Professor of international political economy believes that the Pompeo speech was an exercise in idiocy that only provides Trump with excuse to pressure the government in Iran in any way possible to bring about regime change in Iran.

News ID: 70329

Date: 24 May 2018 - 09:58

TEHRAN (Defapress) – The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laid out the Trump administration's new strategy for Iran on Monday two weeks after the US President Donald Trump walked away from the Obama administration's Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA).

Repeating lots of baseless accusations against Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his speech at the Heritage Foundation on Monday made 12 demands on Iran including to:

-Declare to the IAEA a full account of the prior military dimensions of its nuclear program and permanently and verifiably abandon such work in perpetuity.

-Stop enrichment and never pursue plutonium reprocessing, including closing its heavy water reactor.

- Provide the IAEA with unqualified access to all sites throughout the entire country.

- End its proliferation of ballistic missiles and halt further launching or development of nuclear-capable missile systems.

-Release all US citizens as well as citizens of US partners and allies.

-End support to Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Just hours after Pompeo’s speech many EU officials and international figures rejected his demands on Iran as unrealistic and futile.

Some experts from CNN and FT called the Pompeo’s demands “pipe dream” that indicates that the US administration has not any new strategy towards Iran after its withdrawal from the JCPOOA.

To shed more light on the issue we reached out to Marvin Zonis, Professor of international political economy and leadership in the University of Chicago.

Here is the full text of his interview:

He has promised very tough sanctions on Iran. Considering the fact that even the US closest allies in EU have announced they will be committed to the JCPOA and will keep on business and trade with Iran, how realistic and feasible are Mr. Pompeo’s promised sanctions?

Despite the eagerness of the Europeans to figure out a way around the new sanctions so that European firms can continue to do business in Iran, they will find it difficult to do so. The US cab deny European forms access to the US banking system and dollars and most European firms will not wish to take the risk of being shut out of those systems. On the other hand.

Will other global powers like Russia and China follow up possible US unilateral sanctions against Iran?

China and Russia have demonstrated their willingness to violate the sanctions in the past and can be expected to do so again.

How do you assess the consequences of Trump’s unilateral policies? What can be his policies consequences for the US and the world?
The Pompeo speech was an exercise in idiocy. The only rational explanation is that the Trump administration knows that Iran cannot comply with the 12 demands and that, therefore, Trump will have an excuse to pressure the government in Iran in any way possible. Trump and his advisors would like to bring about regime change in Iran. The US invasion of Iraq ought to be a lesson for them. But it does not appear to be.

He has talked about forcing Iran to accept a new security architecture for the region. What kind of architecture possibly he means and aims for?

This is an empty phrase which has Iran retreating to its borders and essentially abandoning any foreign policy.

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