Former US President Barack Obama agreed a deal with Iran in 2015 over its nuclear programme, which became known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). China, France, Russia, the UK , Germany and the EU were also signatories to the deal, under the terms of which Iran consented to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. In May 2018, Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the agreement and reimposed punitive sanctions on Iran.
Mr Pompeo told CNN’s State of the Nation on Sunday: “Obama appeased Iran.
“It is important that they understand that America will no longer behave the way that it did during the Obama/Biden administration.
“We will no longer appease, we will no longer tolerate.
“Frankly, this war kicked off when the JCPOA was entered into.”
Pompeo went on to claim that the killing of Iran’s Quds Force leader had already made the US and the world a safer place, but did concede that Iran was likely to retaliate.
In an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd, he said: “We’re definitely safer today, 100 per cent certainty that America is safer today.”
In response to Mr Todd’s question whether US citizens would be targeted in retaliation by Iran, he replied: “You’re concentrating on the second and the moment.
“President Trump is focused deeply on keeping Americans safe over the long haul.
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The US President has promised to hit Iran “VERY FAST AND VERY HARD” if Tehran attacked the US.
Trump claimed that 52 targets, symbolising the number of Americans held hostage for more than a year during the 1979 US embassy siege in Tehran, had already been chosen for retaliatory strikes, should Iran fail to heed his warnings.
In a further tweet he boasted about the US’ military capabilities, writing: “The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment.
“We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World!
“If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way…and without hesitation!”