Iran's involvement in Saudi Aramco attacks increases risk of conflict
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday
that Iran’s involvement in the Saudi Aramco attacks increases the risk of
conflict.
He made the remarks at the Iran Summit, hosted by
United Against Nuclear Iran.
Pompeo also said that “the enforcement of sanctions
[on Iran] has been, and will continue to be, relentless.” Sanctions have forced
the regime into “panicked aggression,” added Pompeo.
Too many people listen to Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif and take their words as
relevant or important or material or accurate, said Pompeo.
“The world is awakening to the truth, the truth is
that Iran responds to strength,” added Pompeo.
Pompeo also drew attention to Wednesday's sanctions
on Chinese entitites for transferring oil to Iran despite US sanctions.
“Today we’re imposing sanctions on certain Chinese
entities for knowingly transporting oil from Iran contrary to US sanctions,”
Pompeo said.
Pompeo said Washington was going to ramp up efforts
to educate countries on the risks of doing business with Iran's Revolutionary
Guard Corps to disentangle them from the Iranian economy.
“We will sanction every violation of sanctionable
activity,” summarized Pompeo.
The secretary of state then described US diplomacy
as drawing attention to Iranian malign influence.
