Brussels, May 14: United States secretary of state Mike Pompeo has shared detailed information over “escalating” Iranian threats with NATO allies and European Union (EU) during meetings on Sunday here, as per American special envoy for Iran’s statement.
According to Reuters news reports, during the meeting in Brussels, envoy Brian Hook said, “Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi,” while referring to Pompeo’s scheduled trip to Russia on Tuesday to address meeting with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
On Monday, Pompeo cancelled his planned visit to Moscow and landed in Brussels instead.
Hook stated, “The secretary wanted to share some details behind what we have been saying publicly,” adding, “We believe that Iran should try talks instead of threats. They have chosen poorly by focusing on threats.”
He said Pompeo also discussed attacks on various oil tankers, reportedly off the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) coast.
Asked if Pompeo blamed Iran for those attacks, Hook stated, “We discussed … what seemed to be attacked on commercial vessels that were anchored off Fujairah … we have been requested by the UAE to provide assistance in the investigation, which we are very glad to do.”
Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers came under attack off the coast of the UAE, shortly after the latter said four of its vessels had been sabotaged amid rising tensions in the Gulf.
The news agency didn’t mention casualties or oil spills, but said there had been “significant damage to the structures of the two vessels” in attacks it described as “posing a threat to the security of global oil supplies”.
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