US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo presented his country's policy toward Iran during a House hearing that saw differences between Democrats and Republicans over the appropriate strategy in this regard, as well as protests against the war.
Pompeo said in a testimony presented to the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee today, Friday, that the elimination of the United States, the leader of the Iranian Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, last January was an act aimed at easing the escalation, not the other way around.
He added that Soleimani - who was killed in a US air raid soon after his arrival at Baghdad International Airport - was planning to kill Americans in the region, and that Iran was aware of the seriousness and preparedness of the United States after his killing.
Al-Jazeera correspondent Ahmed Hazeem said that Pompeo during the session reiterated Washington's stances, whether with regard to justifying the assassination of Soleimani or adopting extreme pressure to force Iran to change its behavior in the region and replace a new agreement signed with US President Donald Trump, with the nuclear agreement concluded in 2015.
The reporter added that the new may be related to the spread of the Corona virus in Iran, as the American minister expressed his country's readiness to directly assist in containing this disease that has so far caused the death of 34 Iranians.
However, he noted Pompeo was skeptical of Iran's acceptance of the offer of aid, describing it as corrupt and not concerned with the interests of the Iranian people.
Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations Committee launched a scathing attack on Minister Mike Pompeo and the Trump administration, as they considered that this administration does not have a clear strategy in dealing with Iran in particular and the region in general, and that its decisions are taken through reactions without an account of its repercussions.
He said that the Republicans, in turn, defended the Trump administration's decision to assassinate Qasim Soleimani, as they considered his assassination similar to the decision of the previous administration of Barack Obama to liquidate the former al-Qaeda leader bin Laden in 2011, and that bin Laden and Suleimani were terrorists that caused the deaths of many Americans.
The reporter also mentioned that most of the session's time was spent by Democrats attacking the Trump administration and Pompeo administration of the Foreign Ministry, and their assertion that Washington's stances toward Iran and other issues are not based on a strategic plan but rather on unaccountable consequences.
He said that Minister Pompeo was not comfortable or willing to sit in front of the committee, indicating that his responses were short.
| Protesters raise anti-war slogans (Reuters) |
Missile systems
During the hearing, Pompeo said his country is convinced that Russian and Chinese missile systems will be sold to Iran immediately after the UN embargo is lifted in October.
He announced that his country would work with European allies, and in the corridors of the United Nations, to renew the arms embargo imposed on Tehran, and to persuade Moscow and Beijing not to use the veto.
Protests
The session saw protests by people holding up signs against the military confrontation with Iran.
Banners read the slogans including "peace with Iran" and "neither for sanctions nor for war with Iran", while another US Secretary of State's slogan described a war criminal.
The protesters wore T-shirts bearing anti-war slogans with Iran, and security personnel removed them from the hearing.