US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo clarified on Friday (March 27) in France after attending the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers’ meeting that the United States does not need to send ground troops to Iran to achieve all of its goals.
“We had a very good discussion,” Pompeo told the media when talking about the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, “obviously, this was an opportunity to have a dialogue with our G7 allies and articulate our current position on the Iran issue. We talked about many things, but the focus was clearly on Iranian actions.”
Regarding the US military’s “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran, Pompeo said that this military operation is “expected to be completed at the appropriate time, taking only a few weeks, not months. The progress so far is very good.”
“Of course, we still have some work to do. We must complete this task, and we are completing it,” he said.
The Secretary of State reiterated the US goals in the conflict with Iran.
“We are achieving all of these goals. Most of these goals have been achieved ahead of schedule,” he said, “We can achieve these goals without any ground troops. Absolutely not needed. As for why troops need to be deployed, firstly, the President must be prepared for multiple contingencies… We will always be prepared to provide the President with the maximum range of options and the greatest flexibility to address a variety of contingencies that may arise.”
Regarding negotiations between the US and Iran, Pompeo said that there have been some exchanges of messages between the two sides, indicating a willingness to negotiate on certain issues.
“Currently, we are still waiting for further clarification, including: who will be involved in the dialogue, what topics will be discussed, and when the dialogue will take place. So far, I have no information to provide on these matters,” he said, “This could happen at any time, possibly today, possibly tomorrow. We do not make predictions, but we will continue to advance our current actions.”
Pompeo said he also explained to G7 allies that Iran is considering establishing a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz, “not only is this illegal, but it is unacceptable. This poses a global risk. It is important for the world to have a response plan, and the United States is ready to participate. We do not necessarily need to lead this plan, but we are willing to participate.”
He added that many countries have a stake in this matter. It is not just the G7 countries, but countries in Asia and around the world, who have a stake in this issue and should make significant contributions to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz or any international waterway is not controlled or influenced by any one country, let alone a terrorist government like the current Iranian regime – this radical theocratic regime.
The Secretary of State also said that some officials within the Iranian regime have been claiming they want to permanently charge passage in the Strait of Hormuz, “this is unacceptable, and the whole world should be outraged by this.”
“We are not greatly affected by this, but other countries around the world are much more affected, including many countries present at the G7 summit today. If these countries are greatly affected, we can only say, ‘You need to take action. We will help you, but you must also be prepared to respond,'” he said that charging tolls in the Strait of Hormuz not only violates international law and maritime law, but it is unacceptable. This situation cannot be allowed to exist.
Pompeo once again emphasized that countries most affected should be willing to take action, and the US will assist them. He said the same at the G7 meeting and received a good response.