IRAN
Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook spoke with reporters this week when announcing additional sanctions on Iran in support of the Administration’s Maximum Pressure campaign. He noted that Secretary Pompeo recently promised to hold Iran accountable for its human rights violations and for its treatment of the Iranian people. In doing so, he said that the US Government is listing IRGC Brigadier General Hassan Shahvarpour under Section 7031(c) visa sanctions. General Shahvarpour committed gross violations of human rights against protesters in Mahshahr and oversaw the massacre of 148 helpless Iranians in the Mahshahr region last November.
According to Hook, one of the over 88,000 tips sent through the State Department’s hotline since last November made the action possible. He added: “We use this information to expose the criminality of the regime and to hold violators accountable. Since the violent crackdown on protests last November, the United States has sanctioned two judges and eight other regime officials for their roles in brutalizing the Iranian people. We are continuing to review all information we receive from the Iranian people, and we will continue to hold more regime officials responsible for human rights violations.”
Iran is in an economic crisis that also has contributed to the unrest in the country. The Iranian people are opposing state corruption. The pressure put on by the sanctions, according to Hook, had led to more than 25% unemployment rate among young Iranians and an inflation rate of 40%. It is this group that is calling strongly for reform, among others. “We have succeeded in raising the costs for Iran,” he noted, “and the regime is badly managing an economic crisis of its own making.”
Iranian oil exports have decreased by more than 2 million barrels per day, according to the State Department, thus reducing its oil revenue by more than 80%, or about $50 billion annually. The result is that Iran is less able to fund terrorist activity throughout the region.
RUSSIA
When asked to comment about the changes in the Russian government, Secretary of State Pompeo that it does appear that President Putin is attempting to make himself president for life and retain control after the 2024 elections. It was announced recently that top leaders, such as Dmitri Medvedev among others, have resigned from the Russian government. This all but ensures that Putin will gain even more control over the Russian government.
CHINA
China and the United State inked phase one of a trade agreement the President is calling “historic.” Commenting on the agreement Pompeo said that he thinks it is “…consistent with our National Security Strategy where we identified the fact that this is a long-term challenge and there’s real opportunity there as well, but we have to make sure and get this right….”
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Another stumbling block to better relations is the resolution of intellectual property rights disputes between the two countries. Pompeo noted that when he was in northern California, he met with American business people who discussed that challenges they face when dealing with China, especially in the area of China’s unfair direct investment policy toward US companies. When asked about American firms selling surveillance equipment to China to spy on its own people, the Secretary pointed out that the US has a strict set of laws covering the topic. He added that China conducts illegal business activity despite the rules. He added that China still buys Iranian oil despite US attempts to halt the sales that are in violation of the US sanctions regime. The Secretary promised that Washington is going to do everything it can to enforce sanctions against every violator of the US trade restrictions.
NORTH KOREA
The US and North Korea are continuing to talk behind-the-scenes according to Pompeo. He noted that the United States is interested in convincing President Kim that it is in his best interest to deliver on the promised he made 18 months ago. The talks to date have been a back and forth process in which the North Korean has made, and then failed to fulfill, promises to the United States and the world. Pompeo said that he is positive that the North potentially will make the correct decision in the future as the weapons systems they have pose a real threat to the North Korean people and the world.
Pompeo added that “…if we can get the right arrangement, if we can get the sequence right, and we can have serious conversations about it, I still hold out hope that we can convince Chairman Kim to move away from the nuclear weapons as their great wall of protection and convince them that there is a brighter, even more secure posture that they can have without those nuclear weapons.”
DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.
Illustration: Pixabay