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US seeking diplomatic outcome on Iran -- official

WASHINGTON, May 18 (KUNA) -- The United States is seeking "uptempo diplomacy" with Iran that will address its nuclear proliferation and destabilizing activities in the Middle East, a senior administration official said Friday. In a press conference with reporters, the State Department's Director of Policy Planning Brian Hook said "We very much want to have a kind of uptempo diplomacy, one that's very focused and very determined to achieve our national security objectives." In his first major foreign policy address on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will present a new "diplomatic roadmap to achieve a new security architecture and a better security framework," according to Hook.
This follows President Donald Trump's decision to end America's participation in Joint comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "The goal of our effort is to bring all necessary pressure to bear on Iran to change its behavior and to pursue a new framework that can resolve our concerns," Hook said. The US is also ready to negotiate a better deal with Iran, "and there are a range of nations that can be a part of that," Hook offered. Over the past week, the Trump administration has been in "very extensive and deep consultations" talks with United Kingdom, France and Germany on the way forward with Iran.
European allies have been fighting to keep the JCPOA intact despite Trump's threats to impose sanctions on European companies doing business with Iran, raising questions how the US will gather European support to a new deal with Iran. "We agree with the Europeans much, much more than we disagree on...we want a comprehensive approach," Hooks said, however "the JCPOA gave a lot of people a false sense of security that by addressing Iran nuclear program that we were somehow addressing the totality of Iranian threats. It is important that we change that dynamic." (end) hy.rk