Informal comments to the media by H.E. Mr. Michael Pompeo, Secretary of State, United States of America will brief reporters at the Security Council Stakeout, on non-proliferation / Iran.

Speaking to journalists at UN headquarters today (12 Dec), United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the Iran nuclear deal as a “failed agreement” and called on the Security Council to “get serious” about the “real risk” of nuclear proliferation from “the Iranian regime.”

Pompeo told reporters that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was unable to contain Iran’s “assassination efforts in Europe, the establishment of an equivalent of Lebanese Hizbullah on the cusp of being achieved in Yemen, malign activity in Iraq by the Iranians”, and the country’s missile activity.

The Secretary of State said Iran was defying UN Security Council resolution 2231 in numerous ways adding that the country was on a testing and proliferation spree. He called on the Security Council to take action to protect citizens of the Middle East, Americans travelling through the Middle East, and Europeans who he said were now at risk from Iranian missiles.

Pompeo said his Government would exert “American leadership to build a coalition” to build out a set of responses that deliver “deterrence against Iran and its continued proliferation of ballistic missiles, and ballistic missile systems that have the potential to carry nuclear warheads.”

Asked about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Pompeo said the US had already held accountable a large number of people who were responsible for the killing of the journalist and would continue to investigate to hold all those responsible accountable. At the same time, he said, “Americans interests in the region are important and our partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an important one; it has delivered American security in important ways in President Trump’s first two years in office, and we intend to continue to work with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to keep America safe.”

Earlier today, European ambassadors spoke to reporters to express their support for the JCPOA. In a statement on behalf of former, current, and incoming members of the Security Council from the European Union, Dutch ambassador Karel van Oosterom underlined the countries’ commitment to the agreement adding that Iran continued to “implement its nuclear related commitments.” He said the JCPOA had “significantly rolled back Iran’s nuclear programme and ensures it does not develop a nuclear weapon.” The statement underscored however that the JCPOA “faces considerable challenges following the withdrawal by the United States and the re-imposition of US sanctions against Iran.”

The European statement said as long as Iran continues to implement its commitments in full, the EU would remain fully committed to continued implementation of the agreement. It added, “At the same time, we are very concerned about the finding of the Secretary-General regarding Iran’s destabilizing regional activities, and in particular ballistic missile related activities such as the launch of nuclear capable missiles and any transfers of missiles, missile technology and components, which would be in violation of Security Council resolutions.”

The statement said the JCPOA was an example of effective multilateralism and a key element of the non-proliferation regime. It said the agreement was working and delivering on its intended goal and called on the entire international community to continue implementing the JCPOA and resolution 2231.

The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union and was endorsed by Security council resolution 2231. The United States has since withdrawn from the agreement.

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