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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 7 May 2019

IRAN THREATS Strategic & International and justifications are."
Continued from Front Studies, questioned wheth- Asked if the Iranian action
The agreement limited er the U.S. adequately was related to the deadly
Iran's enrichment of urani- understands Iranian moti- events in Gaza and Israel
um amid Western concerns vations and actions, and — militants fired rockets into
that Tehran's program whether the military move Israel on Sunday and Israel
could allow it to build nu- was warranted. responded with airstrikes —
clear weapons. Iran insists "I don't think we should let Pompeo said, "It is separate
its program is for peaceful the Iranians pull our chain from that."
purposes. at the time and place of The Trump administration
With its pressure campaign, their choosing," he said. has been intensifying its
the U.S. administration is "You can communicate pressure campaign against
trying to get Iran to halt seriousness to the Iranians Iran.
activities such as support- without moving a lot of as- Last month, President Don-
ing militant activities that sets around, because mov- ald Trump announced the
destabilize the Middle East ing assets is expensive and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks to the media on the side- U.S. would no longer ex-
lines of the Arctic Council ministers' working dinner at the Arkti-
and threaten U.S. allies, in- keeps assets from being in kum museum in Rovaniemi, Finland, Monday, May 6, 2019. empt any countries from
cluding Israel, Secretary of other places." Associated Press U.S. sanctions if they contin-
State Mike Pompeo said. He added, however, that ue to buy Iranian oil, a de-
"Our objective is to get the Iran has the capability to what underlays it, but make that the carrier move sends cision that primarily affects
Islamic Republic of Iran to harm Americans, but it's no mistake, we have good an important message to the five remaining major
behave like a normal na- difficult to assess the situa- reason to want to commu- Iran but the administration importers: China and India
tion," Pompeo told report- tion without knowing more nicate clearly about how needs to give Congress and U.S. treaty allies Japan,
ers during a visit to Finland. about the intelligence that the Iranians should under- more information. South Korea and Turkey.
"When they do that, we will prompted the move. stand how we will respond "I worry that it could be The U.S. also recently des-
welcome them back." Along with the Lincoln, to actions they may take." misinterpreted," Blumen- ignated Iran's Revolution-
The order to the carrier Bolton mentioned "a bomb- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, thal said. "I'm trusting that ary Guard as a terrorist
group would get the Abra- er task force," which sug- D-Conn., a member of the it isn't meant as a provoca- group, the first ever for an
ham Lincoln into the Mid- gested the Pentagon is de- Senate Armed Services tive act, but I need to know entire division of another
dle East about two weeks ploying land-based bomb- Committee, said Monday what the thought process government.q
earlier than initially planned er aircraft somewhere in
following exercises in the the region, perhaps on the
Mediterranean region, ac- Arabian Peninsula.
cording to a U.S. defense Pompeo said the actions
official who wasn't autho- undertaken by the U.S.
rized to speak publicly, so have been in the works for
spoke on the condition of a while. The request for the
anonymity. It forces the accelerated move came
ships to cancel a planned over the weekend from
stop in Croatia. the military's U.S. Central
For years, the U.S. main- Command after reviewing
tained a carrier presence various intelligence reports
in the Persian Gulf and Mid- for some time, according
dle East region. During the to the U.S. official. Acting
height of the wars in Iraq Defense Secretary Patrick
and Afghanistan, there Shanahan approved the
were two carriers in the request on Sunday.
area, but that was reduced "It is absolutely the case
to one. that we have seen esca-
Last year the administration latory actions from the Ira-
decided to end the contin- nians and it is equally the
uous carrier presence, and case that we will hold the
send a strike group only in- Iranians accountable for
termittently into the region. attacks on American in-
The U.S. Navy currently has terests," Pompeo said. "If
no aircraft carrier in the Per- these actions take place,
sian Gulf. if they do by some third-
Bolton said the U.S. wants to party proxy, a militia group,
send a message that "unre- Hezbollah, we will hold the
lenting force" will meet any Iranian leadership directly
attack on U.S. interests or accountable for that."
those of America's allies. Asked about "escalatory
Jon Alterman, senior vice actions," Pompeo replied,
president at the Center for "I don't want to talk about