US to pursue pressure on Iran, Syria: Spokesperson

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan24) – Acting State Department Spokesperson Mark Toner on Monday elaborated on a lengthy statement Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made last week regarding Iran.

Tillerson was highly critical of Iran and seemed to signal the Donald Trump administration will be adopting a much tougher policy toward Tehran.

In a press briefing, Toner  stated the previous US strategy had “compartmentalized” Iran’s nuclear program, treating it as a problem in isolation from Tehran’s “bad behavior in the region.”

The US administration is now conducting a broad review of its Iran policy, asking, “How do we look at the tools, and how can we apply pressure?” Toner explained.

Although the Obama administration regarded the nuclear deal with Iran as a major achievement, a skeptical US Congress made it a requirement the White House report every 90 days on Iran’s compliance with the accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Last week, the Trump administration issued its first such report, informing Congress Tehran was, indeed, complying with the terms of the JCPOA.

However, administration officials from President Trump on down have complained Tehran is not abiding by “the spirit” of the agreement.

Until our “review is completed,” Toner stated, “we’re going to adhere to the JCPOA and ensure that Iran is held strictly accountable to its requirements.”

Today, the parties to the JCPOA—the five permanent members of the Security Council, as well as Germany, the European Union, and Iran—will meet in Geneva for a regularly scheduled quarterly review of the implementation of the agreement.

The US has made its position known, as has Tehran, which has pledged to “pursue its complaints about the United States’ lack of full commitment, foot-dragging, and aggressive approach in the Joint Commission’s meeting,” the semi-official Fars News Agency reported.

On Monday, Washington also announced new sanctions on Iran’s close ally, Syria, for its April 4 sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun.

The Treasury Department named 271 employees of Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), which it identified as “the Syrian government agency responsible for developing and producing non-conventional weapons and the means to deliver them.”

The new sanctions block any assets the scientists may have in the US and prohibit Americans from business dealings with them.

Administration officials noted these were “highly educated individuals” and likely to travel outside Syria.

In describing the new sanctions, Toner was careful to place them within the context of the US response to Syria’s chemical attack, rather than any effort to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime.

“We were very clear in our quick response to the attack,” Toner stated, referring to the April 6 cruise missile strike on a Syrian airbase, “that this could not stand, that this went beyond international standards.”

Damascus claims the SSRC is a civilian research center, but US officials maintain “its activities focus substantively on the development of biological and chemical weapons.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany