BICOM

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo set out the details of a tough new nuclear agreement with Iran and the “strongest sanctions in history” in his first major policy speech in the role.

Pompeo outlined “America’s hope that our labours toward peace and security will bear fruit for the long-suffering people of Iran” and called the Islamic Republic “the world’s largest state-sponsor of terrorism”.

“Our demands on Iran are not unreasonable: give up your program,” he added.

Pompeo’s list of 12 “basic requirements” for any future deal included “unqualified access to all sites throughout the country” for nuclear inspectors, the release of all US citizens currently held by Iran, that Iran end its support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen and that Iran “withdraw all forces” from Syria, halt support for its ally Hezbollah and stop threatening Israel.

Pompeo said Iran must stop enrichment of uranium and declare details of all previous efforts to build a nuclear weapon, an issue that the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency had deemed to be a closed matter.

The new Secretary of State said that the US would lift all sanctions, restore full diplomatic and commercial ties and assist with the modernisation of the Iranian economy if its demands were met.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it would be “very, very difficult” to “fold all those into a giant negotiation, a new jumbo Iran negotiation.” He added that “the advantage of the JCPOA was that it had a very clear objective…The Americans have walked away from that.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was defiant in his response, saying: “Who are you to decide for Iran and the world? We will continue our path with the support of our nation.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Pompeo’s speech, calling it “the only policy that could ultimately guarantee the security of the Middle East”.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said the “European Union is and will remain committed to the continued full and effective implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as long as Iran abides by all its nuclear-related commitments, as it is doing so far. This deal belongs to the international community, having been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The international community expects all sides to keep the commitments they made more than two years ago.”