The European Union expressed “deep concern” Tuesday over Iran’s decision to enrich uranium, a move Israel has warned proves the Islamic Republic is seeking nuclear weapons. The E.U. statement was followed by a series of warnings by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regarding a chilling alliance between Iran and the al Qaeda terror group.
Citing “brand new” information, Pompeo said Tuesday that Iran and al-Qaeda are now “partners in terrorism, partners in hate,” and the terror group sought a new haven after the 9/11 terror attacks, one that Iran was only too happy to provide.
“Al-Qaeda has a new home base. It is the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a result, Bin Laden’s wicked creation is poised to gain strength and capabilities. We ignore this Iran-Al-Qaeda nexus at our own peril,” said Pompeo.
“Iran decided to allow al-Qaeda to establish a new operational headquarters, on the condition that al-Qaeda abides by the regime’s rules governing al-Qaeda’s stay inside of the country, agency and control,” he said.
Secretary of State @mikepompeo told Breitbart News that President Donald Trump’s peace deals in the Middle East are “all connected” and stem from recognizing Iran as the primary threat to stability in the region. https://t.co/az1xjC5fGH
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 15, 2020
He said the new alliance would increase the risk of terror attacks around the world and threaten to destabilize the region, especially in light of the recent peace deals between Arab countries and Israel.
“Imagine the threat to America, imagine the threat to Israel, Saudi Arabia.”
“If al-Qaeda can use terror attacks in the region to blackmail nations from joining the warm peace with Israel, then we risk grinding generational momentum for peace in the Middle East to a halt,” he said.
A day earlier, the E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Tehran that its decision to enrich uranium to 20 percent purity was “a very serious development” with “potentially severe proliferation implications.”
“We urge Iran to refrain from further escalation and reverse this course of action without delay. Continued full and timely cooperation with the (U.N. nuclear watchdog) IAEA remains critical,” he said.
He added that the E.U. was looking forward to working with President-elect Joe Biden on returning to the nuclear deal.
Iran announced Monday it has begun enriching uranium up to 20 percent, far beyond the limits set out in the 2015 nuclear accords. https://t.co/hKGDx0QxEd
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 5, 2021
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran’s decision to raise the level of enrichment “cannot be explained in any way other than the continued realization of its plans to develop a military nuclear program.”
“I reiterate: Israel will not allow Iran to produce nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said soon after Tehran announced the decision.
The Obama-led nuclear deal, from which President Donald Trump withdrew in May 2018, delineates an enrichment limit of 3.67 percent.
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