Mike Pompeo: US working with Gulf states to counter Iran’s growing missile threat

July 10, 2020

The National

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that Washington was working in more than one way with Arab Gulf partners to offset a growing missile threat from Iran.

And Mr Pompeo warned in a briefing that letting the UN arms embargo expire in October would create instability throughout the Middle East.

He said the US was committed to provide security help for the Gulf as Iran increased its missile capability.

This week, Tehran announced it was building underground missile cities along the Gulf coastline, calling them “a nightmare for Iran’s enemies”.

Mr Pompeo said Iran’s missile programme was is in breach of a UN resolution and a critical threat that requires an extension of the UN arms embargo set to expire on October 18.

“We think it’s so important that the world unites to extend the arms embargo that expires just a handful of months from now … that would be tragically dangerous for the region,” Mr Pompeo said.

He said Washington was helping to boost Gulf states’ defences by pushing for the embargo to be extended, weapons sales and other ways that are not made public.

Mr Pompeo said there were “things we can do both publicly and otherwise to help provide security in the face of an increasing capability for the Iranians”.

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Curtis Stiles - Chief of Staff