U.S. issues steep list of demands for nuclear treaty with Iran

The United States issued a steep list of demands on Mondayto be included in a nuclear treaty with Iran to replace the deal scuttled by President Donald Trump and threatened "the strongest sanctions in history" if Tehran doesn't change course.

Drawing sharp contrasts with the 2015 deal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a stronger pact should require that Iran stop enrichment of uranium, which was allowed within strict limitations under the previous deal. Iran would also have to walk away from core pillars of its foreign policy, including its involvement in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

"This list may seem long to some, but it is simply a reflection of the massive scope of Iranian malign behaviour," Pompeo said.

Pompeo vowed that Trump's approach would ensure "Iran has no possible path to a nuclear weapon, ever." As he called for a better agreement to constrain Iran's activities, he said the U.S. would "apply unprecedented financial pressure" to bring Tehran back to the table.

"These will end up being the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are complete," Pompeo said at the conservative Heritage Foundation in his first major policy speech since taking over as top diplomat.

At the same time, Pompeo offered Iran a series of dramatic potential U.S. concessions if it agrees to make "major changes." Under a new agreement, the U.S. would be willing to lift all sanctions, restore full diplomatic and commercial ties with Iran, and even support the modernization of its economy, Pompeo said.

Demands hint at regime change

Still, Pompeo's list of 12 requirements included many that Iran is highly unlikely to consider:

• Iran must allow nuclear inspectors "unqualified access to all sites throughout the country,"an allusion to military sites that were off-limits under the 2015 deal except under specific circumstances.
• Iran must declare all previous efforts to build a nuclear weapon, reopening an issue that the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency has already deemed a closed matter.
• Iran must cease a range of activities throughout the Mideast, includingsupporting ShiaHouthi rebels in Yemen, deploying forces to Syria,supporting its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, and threatening Israel.
• Iran must also "release all U.S. citizens" missing in Iran or being held on "spurious charges."

Taken together, the demands would constitute a wholesale transformation by Iran's government, and they hardened the perception that what Trump's administration really seeks is a change in the Iranian regime. A longtime Iran hawk, Pompeo has spoken positively about regime change in the past, but in his confirmation hearing last month he sought to soften that stance.

Laying out Trump's new approach Monday, Pompeo said he couldn't put a timeline on how long the strategy might take.

In another departure from the Obama administration's approach, Pompeo said that "a treaty is our preferred way to go." Former President Barack Obama did not seek a Senate-ratified treaty with Iran because of the dim prospects for getting approval from a Republican-run Congress.

Threats to Europeancompanies

Pompeo's speech came after Trump earlier this month infuriated U.S. allies in Europe by withdrawing from the 2015 deal brokered by Obama, Iran and world powers. Europeanallies had pleaded with Trump not to scuttle that deal and are now scrambling to keep the deal alive even without the U.S.

But the Trump administration has held out hope that those same allies will put aside that frustration and work with the U.S. to ramp pressure back up on Iran through sanctions in a bid to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table for a stronger deal.

Pompeo said he understood that Trump's decision "will pose financial and economic difficulties for a number of our friends." But he warned them that the U.S. planned to follow through with threats to punish European companies that continue doing business with Iran that is allowed under the deal but will violate reimposed U.S. sanctions.