US urges partners not yield to Iranian "nuclear extortion"

WASHINGTON, June 17 (KUNA) -- The US Department of State said Monday the behavior of Iran poses a challenge to other parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the international community as a whole.
Speaking to reporters, the Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said, "This is a pattern of 40 years of behavior. It's consistent with how the Iranian regime behaves." "They continued to build their missile program, we relieved sanctions, they took American sailors hostage," she pointed out.
"We have seen no moderating behavior by this regime, and in fact what we're seeing here of course over the past week is - constantly threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, a number of activities - not just the two commercial shipping vessels that we discussed this week, but four other commercial ships.
"So I think what we're seeing here is really a challenge not only in the JCPOA, but really a challenge to the international norms on how a country behaves, a challenge to the international norms on freedom of navigation and freedom of the seas.
"And so we would say to the international community that we should not yield to nuclear extortion by the Iranian regime.
"We continue to call on the Iranian regime not to obtain a nuclear weapon, to abide by their commitments to the international community. I think this is why the President has often said that the JCPOA needs to be replaced with a new and better deal.
"Iran, as evident by their announcement today but also their pattern of behavior over the past few years, is keen on expanding - or seems to be keen on expanding their nuclear program," Ortagus went on.
"We're of course working on the diplomatic solution while Secretary Shanahan and the team at DOD (Department of Defense) is focused on our military options to keep our people, our interests, and our allies safe.
"Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18th, 2019, Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo will visit United States Central Command and the United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. "There, he will meet with General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of Central Command, and General Richard Clarke, commander of Special Operations Command, to discuss regional security concerns and ongoing operations.
"Our maximum pressure campaign continues, and it will continue to be what we pursue. There should be no relieving of sanctions for their malign and unacceptable behavior.
"So we will continue to work with our allies and work with our international partners who would like to help us deter this Iranian behavior, who would like to help us get them back to the negotiating table, who would like to help us get them to behave like a normal nation.
"That's the whole goal here. Our demands are not high. Our demands are that they stop terrorizing the region," she stressed.
"I have no evidence of moderation. I have evidence of them taking US sailors as hostages. I have evidence of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) having millions if not billions of dollars to fund terrorism around the world, to fund Houthis (in Yemen), who we saw hit yet another airport in Saudi Arabia where American civilians go through," she added. (end) rsr.gb