Pompeo: US Committed to Protecting Middle East Against Iran’s Missile Threats
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced during a phone press conference with journalists the United States’ commitment to protecting Arab Gulf countries against “Iran’s missile threats.”
On Thursday, July 10, in response to a question from a reporter at the UAE-based “National” news outlet, he said the United States will assist its Arab Gulf partners in various ways to prevent Iran’s missile threats.
According to him, one of these methods is preventing the expiration of Iran’s arms embargo, which ends in October this year, as the non-renewal of Iran’s arms embargo would have “serious dire consequences” for the Middle East.
The US Secretary of State also said Washington’s second form of assistance is the sale of American weapons to Arab Gulf countries, and besides these measures, there are other ways whose information is not made public.
One day before these remarks, Pompeo reported the seizure of a ship that, according to him, carried weapons that Iran had sent to Yemeni Houthis.
On Wednesday, July 9, Mike Pompeo said in his press conference that the seizure of this weapons-carrying vessel took place on June 28 [July 8] in waters near Yemen’s shores.
According to him, some items in this shipment included 200 RPG launchers, over 1,700 Kalashnikov rifles, 21 surface-to-air missiles and ground missiles, and other weapons and missiles.
Iran has denied this matter, but the United Nations previously confirmed that the source of last September’s attacks on Saudi oil facilities was Iranian weapons.
On Thursday, Pompeo said in his press conference that Iran is trying to build missiles that can bypass Middle Eastern countries’ air defense systems and also increase the range of its missiles.
He referred to Iran’s satellite launch program and said the world is too smart not to know that the Islamic Republic, under the guise of these apparently peaceful activities, is trying to acquire the necessary capability to build long-range missiles.
Pompeo added that it is important in America’s view that the international community unite to extend Iran’s arms sanctions; otherwise, the Middle East will face “instability and a serious dire situation.”
The US Secretary of State continued by saying the United States is working with its Arab allies on extending Iran’s arms sanctions, but nonetheless America can still provide greater opportunities and conditions for selling more weapons to these countries to defend against Iran’s missile threats.
Source: Radio Farda
