On February 18, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration has made a “historic” contribution to the Middle East and that no one can now ignore the threat that Iran poses to Israel, the Gulf states and the United States.
Pompeo’s remarks came as he accepted the International Human Rights Champion award at the ninth annual Jewish Values International Awards Gala, hosted by the World Values Network. The gala was hosted by the World Values Network.
Pompeo’s “historic” contribution refers to the Trump Administration‘s signing of the Abraham Accords with Israel and the UAE, followed by Bahrain and other Arab countries, a joint declaration aimed at establishing new cooperation and normalizing relations between Middle Eastern countries, for which President Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In his acceptance speech, Pompeo praised Trump for his landmark diplomatic achievements in the Middle East, which are “incredible”.
He said that after several years of the Trump administration, people around the world now have a changed view of Iran, and “while the next administration (Biden) may choose its own tactical plan, I don’t think anyone will deny that Iran is a threat to the United States, Israel and the Arab Gulf states.”
Before Trump brokered the Abrahamic Accords, only Egypt and Jordan recognized Israel in the Middle East, and several Arab states had boycotted Israel for decades and said they would only establish ties with Israel after the Palestinian dispute was resolved, but the Trump administration broke the stalemate.
It is unclear whether Biden will keep the Abrahamic Accords. However, U.S. government administration officials see the agreement as a move in a positive direction.
President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone for the first Time since taking office on Jan. 20, only this Wednesday (Feb. 17), where Biden reiterated his commitment to Israel’s security and expressed his desire to strengthen the U.S.-Israeli partnership, including defense cooperation.
The two leaders also discussed Iranian-induced security issues, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and continued U.S. support for the Abraham Accords, a peace agreement that normalizes relations between Israel and the Arab states.
Biden Administration officials have previously said they will review the U.S. commitment portion of the Abraham Accords agreement. Biden has also said he is prepared to resume the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran if Tehran can comply with the agreement.
Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.
On Thursday (Feb. 18), Secretary of State John Blinken emphasized his willingness to renegotiate the nuclear deal with Iran, a move that reflects a significant change in the U.S. government’s attitude toward Iran.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Texas) warned Thursday night that the Iranian regime will continue to exploit Biden’s “weaknesses,” referring to the Iranian-backed Shiite militia’s attack on a U.S. base in Erbil, Iraq, last week.
“Iranian-backed forces just attacked U.S. forces in Iraq, and instead of retaliating, what did President Biden do? Prepare to lift sanctions on the regime and beg to restart diplomatic talks, the Iranian regime will continue to exploit the president’s weaknesses.” Corden tweeted.
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