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US will no longer tolerate Iran's destabilizing activities - Pence

WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (KUNA) -- President Donald Trump has put Iran on notice that the US will no longer tolerate its destabilizing activities or support of terrorism across the region and the world, Vice President Mike Pence said Monday.
In remarks to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the deadly bombing of the US Marine Barracks in Beirut, Pence said, "Iran's theocratic rulers aided and abetted the Beirut bombers 34 years ago. And even now, Iran praises the attackers and remembers them as martyrs. Worse yet, the Iranian regime continues to funnel funds and weapons to its terrorist minions, with the goal of shedding blood and sowing chaos throughout the wider world." Just over a week ago, Trump "took decisive action to confront Iran's aggression when he announced that the United States of America will no longer certify the Iran nuclear deal or tolerate Iran's support of global terrorism," Pence said.
"This President will not sit idly by while the ayatollahs in Tehran plot more attacks like the horrific attack that we remember today," he said while speaking at the US Marine Barracks in Washington.
Trump has no higher priority than the safety and security of the American people, "and we will fight tirelessly to defeat the specter of radical Islamic terror no matter where it rears its ugly head," Pence said.
In Afghanistan, Trump "has made it clear that our armed forces will remain engaged in the fight against the Taliban and all the terrorist groups in the region until we eliminate that threat to our homeland, and our people, once and for all, will be safe and free," Pence said.
The US also will continue the fight against the terrorists of the so-called Islamic State, he said.
"Three years ago, those barbarians celebrated in the streets of their self-declared capital in Raqqa," Pence said. "They perpetrated unspeakable acts of violence and drove countless people from their homes in Iraq and Syria, and they proclaimed the start of a thousand-year caliphate as they raised their black flags across the region. But today those flags no longer fly in their self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa." Last week, American and allied forces liberated Raqqa, "and across Syria and Iraq, the caliphate is crumbling," he said. "And you can be assured, we will not rest, we will not relent until we hunt down and destroy IS at its source so it can no longer threaten our people, our allies or our way of life." (end) rm.bs