U.S. Policy
On August 16, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the creation of the Iran Action Group to direct, review and coordinate all aspects of the State Department’s Iran-related activity. “Our hope is that one day soon we can reach a new agreement with Iran. But we must see major changes in the…
On August 6, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order reimposing sanctions on Iran. The move was consistent with his May 8 announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the reimposition of nuclear-related sanctions. “These actions include reimposing sanctions on Iran’s…
Donald Trump’s election produced dramatic change in U.S. policy starting in 2017. Since taking office, his administration has taken a tough stance on the Islamic Republic. In his first address to the U.N. General Assembly, he called Iran's government a “murderous regime” and “a corrupt dictatorship…
Secretary of Defense James Mattis is a major player in the formation of U.S. policy on Iran. He has repeatedly criticized the Islamic Republic for supporting militant groups across the Middle East and meddling in other countries’ affairs. “Iran has simply got to find that it's got a better path…
On July 30, President Donald Trump said he was willing to meet with Iranian leaders anytime with no preconditions. “If we could work something out that’s meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other [Iran nuclear] deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet,” he said at a joint press…
On July 27, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Yleem Poblete argued that 2015 Iran nuclear deal “was flawed at both the technical and political levels, and at the practical level.” In remarks about Syrian and Iranian compliance with the Nuclear Non-…
On July 24-26, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington. Foreign ministers, international organization representatives, religious leaders, civil society leaders, and other stakeholders gathered to promote religious freedom and discuss ways to…
On July 25, Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Dr. Christopher Ford said the United States is fully invested in achieving a “comprehensive new deal” with Iran that would address issues beyond its nuclear program. “Normal nations do not engage in prolonged proxy wars…
On July 22, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo compared Iran’s leaders to mafia bosses who “line their pockets” with wealth while the average person “cries out for jobs, reform, and opportunity.” In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Pompeo criticized Iran’s government for human…
On July 22, President Hassan Rouhani warned President Donald Trump against taking hostile actions toward Iran. “Don’t play with the lion’s tail; you will regret it,” Rouhani said at a meeting of Iranian diplomats. The Islamic Republic’s “enemies must understand well that war with Iran is the mother…