U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has unveiled a far-reaching list of demands for any new nuclear deal with Iran, and threatened economy-crushing sanctions if Tehran does not change its behavior.
US media reports say the 12-point list of demands came in a Monday speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation that laid out the Trump administration's strategy after pulling out of the Iran nuclear agreement earlier this month.
Under any new deal, Pompeo insisted, Iran must indefinitely abandon nuclear weapons work and provide United Nations inspectors access to sites anywhere in the country. He said Tehran must also end its proliferation of ballistic missiles and stop its "destabilizing activities" across the Middle East, according to the Voice of America (VOA).
If Iran does not change course, the U.S. "will apply unprecedented financial pressure," Pompeo warned.
"These will be the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are done," said Pompeo. "The [Iranian] regime has been fighting all over the Middle East for years. After our sanctions come into full force, it will be battling to keep its economy alive."
At the end, Pompeo claimed he was certain that Washington’s allies will welcome Trump administration’s now unpopular approach to Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani dismissed the threats. He said on Monday that the United States could not decide for Iran, according to Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA).
“Who are you to decide for Iran and the world? The world today does not accept that the United States decides for the world. Countries have their independence,” Hassan Rouhani stated as quoted by ILNA.
Iran's president has once again outlined the country's stance, saying that it would continue its path with the support of its nation.
