[...]

A few comments on the Middle East:

We welcome the agreement between the Republic of Yemen Government and the Southern Transitional Council to advance the terms of the Riyadh Agreement, which will pave the way for a unified government that can counter Houthi aggression.

We urge all the parties to implement the agreement’s terms, and support the UN special envoy’s efforts to broker a country-wide political settlement.

Of course, the conflict in Yemen has raged in large part because of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s illegal arms transfers to the Houthis.

And so next week the United States will put forward a resolution in the Security Council to extend the arms embargo on Iran.

The Security Council’s mission is to maintain “international peace and security.”

The Council would make an absolute mockery of that mission if it allowed the number-one state sponsor of terrorism to buy and sell weapons freely.

The United States has conducted now a years-long diplomacy on this matter. We have a bipartisan consensus in Congress. We have a 13-year consensus on the Council. And the proposal we put forward is eminently reasonable.

One way or another – one way or another, we will do the right thing. We will ensure that the arms embargo is extended.

[...]

QUESTION: Yeah, okay. Thank you. Two real quick ones. One on Iran: You said that one way or the other – one way or another we will ensure the embargo gets extended. Does that mean that in the highly likely event that your resolution fails, you will move to invoke snapback? And secondly, on the acting (inaudible), are you concerned at all that his departure – and particularly after such a short time – will further sideline the work of the inspector general office? Thank you.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Matt, let me try to take the second one; you broke up a little bit. You asked a question I think about the departure of acting IG Steve Akard. He left to go back home. This happens; I don’t have anything more to add to that.

As for Iran, we’ve made clear – and I don’t want to be too cute by half – our mission set is unambiguous. The President’s guidance is very, very clear: We’re not going to let the arms embargo expire on October 18th of this year. It’s one of the central failings of the JCPOA and a bad thing for the world to allow Iran to buy and sell – you’ve seen the comments in the press about a deal between Iran and China. There are nations lining up to sell weapons that will destabilize the Middle East, put Israel at risk, put Europe at risk, risk American lives as well. We’re not going to let it happen. And so we’re using every diplomatic tool we have in the toolkit.

I don’t want to – as I said, I don’t want to be too cute. We’re deeply aware that snapback is an option that’s available to the United States, and we’re going to do everything within America’s power to ensure that that arms embargo is extended. And I’m confident that we will be successful.

[...]