Pompeo says US doesn’t want war with Iran but warns of ‘swift’ response if provoked
Washington CNN — The Trump administration doesn’t want war with Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday, but he warned Tehran of a “swift and decisive” US response to any attack. Accidents, plotted accidents, are possible.” Referring to a group of foreign and domestic officials that includes national security adviser John Bolton, the Iranian official added that he “wouldn’t discount the B team plotting an accident anywhere in the region.” The release from Pompeo comes a day after Iran declared it would ease its adherence to the international nuclear pact that constrains its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Pompeo issued his statement as a US official with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN that the latest intelligence indicates there’s no sign of a “decrease in Iran’s posture” or the signals that prompted the US to move a Navy strike group and B-52 bombers to the region, according to a US official with direct knowledge of the latest intelligence. “While it is true they want to create leverage for themselves in the theater, as a way of shaping America’s next moves – maybe some limited maneuverings are happening just to make Americans wonder what Iran will do next – but overall, on a strategic level, Iranian leaders believe that provoking the US into open hostility would risk the Islamic Republic’s grip on power,” Vatanka said.
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