Washington says seeks ending terrorist groups under Iranian command
Brian Hook, U.S. special envoy to Iran, has said Washington will confront Iran’s activities, adding that it’s regime only understands economic pressure and diplomatic isolation.
“Iran’s era of deniable attacks is over. Tehran will be held accountable for the attacks of its proxies. They cannot organize, train, and equip their proxies and then expect anyone to believe that they had no role. And so we will not make a distinction between the Iranian Government and its proxies,” Hook said in remarks on Monday.
“And we are committed to this strategy because it has the best chances of de-escalating the threats that we see stretching from Lebanon to Yemen,” he added.
He went on saying that “Iran plays a destabilizing role in Syria. It is our foreign policy to, as part of an irreversible political process that Ambassador Jim Jeffrey is leading with the Secretary, to remove all forces under Iranian command and control from Syria.”
The U.S. goal, according to Hook, “continues to be for Iran to behave like a normal nation and not like a revolutionary cause.”
Iran had threatened response against the U.S. military if it carried out an attack against it. An official from the Revolutionary Guards said the U.S. aircraft carrier became a target not just a threat.
In May 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump announced withdrawal from the nuclear deal made by Tehran with six powers in 2015.
The U.S. administration claims it pressures Iran to step back from hostile policies in the Middle East and return to negotiations for a new nuclear agreement.