Secretary of State repeated long-standing U. S. accusations that Iran is bent on destabilizing the region, but he also held out the possibility of talks.
BELLINZONA, Switzerland — U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the Trump administration is ready for unconditional discussions with Iran in an effort to ease rising tensions that have sparked fears of conflict. But the United States will not relent in trying to pressure the Islamic Republic to change its behavior in the Middle East, America’s top diplomat said.
Pompeo repeated long-standing U. S. accusations that Iran is bent on destabilizing the region, but he also held out the possibility of talks as President Donald Trump has suggested.
« We’re prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions, » Pompeo told reporters at a news conference with his Swiss counterpart.
« We’re ready to sit down with them, but the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue. »
Pompeo’s meeting with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in the southern Swiss town of Bellinzona came amid concerns about the potential for escalation and miscalculation with Iran — a situation that has many in Europe and the Middle East on edge.
