Pompeo dismisses Rouhani’s terms for talks as Iran admits ‘no plan B’ for Syria
Israel, Iran and the United States are all not backing down in Syria, but US-Iran prisoner talks may still have a chance.
US to Iran: Seriously?
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said this week that he would negotiate with the United States if the Trump administration apologizes and compensates Iran for losses from US policies of maximum pressure.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said the prospects of the United States apologizing to or compensating Iran are “not remotely serious,” adding, “We’re happy to engage in conversations with them when the time is right, but the conditions that suggest somehow we give a bunch of money to the Iranians so they can foment terror around the world is simply ludicrous.”
The State Department, meanwhile, released its annual country reports on terrorism, and Iran again held top billing. The report cited Iran’s support for Hezbollah, “Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq, and throughout the Middle East,” backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force; the United States designated the IRGC, including the Quds Force, as a terrorist organization in April 2019.
