Secretary of State Mike Pompeo allegedly said privately that the U.S. administration will not pursue a regime change in Iran through military intervention.
Pompeo made the comments to a group of Iranian American community leaders last Monday, when he met with them at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel, three sources said. According to them, Pompeo was asked, “If regime change does not occur internally what is the endgame?”
Pompeo then said that the administration avoided using “the language of regime change” and opposed a direct military intervention in the country. Axios reported that a participant asked if the administration had considered a coup, at which Pompeo jokingly said that he would not tell them even if they did.
However, as for the U.S.’ plans for Iran, Pompeo was not clear, saying that “our best interest is a nonrevolutionary set of leaders leading Iran” and that the U.S. wanted to provide the Iranian people with transitional support.
The outlet adds that Pompeo also claimed the Trump administration would have handled the 2009 “Green Movement” uprising against the regime, but failed to provide any explanations as to how that would have been achieved.
The secretary of state further noted that there was no guarantee the people of Iran would not be hurt by new tough U.S. sanctions and sought to distance the Trump administration from the controversial People’s Mujahedin of Iran revolutionary group that has welcomed John Bolton and Rudy Giuliani as speakers in a private capacity. The U.S. designated the group a terrorist organization until 2012.
“Let’s not beat around the bush. Ambassador Bolton spoke at an MEK rally. President Trump and I have not,” Pompeo told the group.
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