Pompeo establishes Iran Action Group

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday named senior policy adviser Brian Hook as Washington’s special representative for Iran, Reuters reported.

Hook will lead a newly established Iran Action Group to coordinate the State Department’s pressure campaign on Iran, Pompeo was quoted as having told a news conference.

Hook, who has pushed for tough action against Iran, has been leading the department’s talks with allies in Europe and Asia to persuade them to support U.S. sanctions and cut off Iran’s oil supplies as of November.

“The Iran Action Group will be responsible for directing, reviewing and coordinating all aspects of the State Department’s Iran-related activity, and will report directly to me,” Pompeo said, according to Reuters.

“We are committed to a whole-of-government effort to change the Iranian regime’s behavior, and the Iran Action Group will ensure that the Department of State remains closely synchronized with our inter-agency partners,” he added.

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