Why Did the White House Form the "Iran Action Group"?

By: Hanif Ghaffari

Exactly sixty-five years ago, a CIA-backed coup toppled Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iran’s prime minister. The goal of the coup was to strengthen the West’s ally Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the creation of a new Iran Action Group to coordinate U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The formation of an action group against Iran by the U.S. Department of State can be analyzed and evaluated from different dimensions. In recent days, the news about the formation of an action group against Iran by the Trump government has attracted the attention of Western media. The western sources deal with this news in such a way that one may come to think it's an unprecedented action in the four last decades, and the U.S. government has never been involved in a direct opposition against Iran! But in spite of Trump and Pompeo's efforts to make this measure seem unique, we have repeatedly been witnessing such fertile efforts by the United States over the past four decades.

In this regard, we need to take a close look at the nature of Trump's recent action and make a primary analysis. In general, the Iran Action Group is a special group at the U.S. Department of State to deal with Iran in different aspects. In this group, many experts cooperate in intellectual, political, economic and military fields. U.S. Department of State officials have announced that they have used all possible capacities for dealing with Iran under such a working group. Some sources report the presence of hundreds of people in the group.

Apparently, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State has formed a special group to coordinate and run U.S. policy toward Iran as the Trump administration moves ahead with efforts to put extended pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran after withdrawing from the JCPOA. It's also said that the group will be headed by Brian Hook, who is currently the State Department’s director of policy planning. The formation of this group on the 65th anniversary of the 1953 Iranian coup is very meaningful, indicating continued efforts by the United States to confront the Iranian nation and regime. Some of the stated goals of this group are:
- Using advisers and experts on Iran's issues to advance Trump's opposition policies
- Coordination between U.S. government agencies in confronting with Iran
-To work with the international community to change Iran's behavior (especially in the region)
- Maximum economic pressure on Iran
- Sanctions for governments that do not follow the anti-Iranian sanctions of the Trump government
The direct opposition of the U.S. Department of State and even the Treasury Department to the Islamic Republic of Iran has a 40-year history. Since the presidency of Jimmy Carter (at the time of the Iranian Islamic Revolution), we have witnessed the secret formation of such working groups and think tanks against Iran. Many of these groups are defined under the structure of the U.S. Department of State, and others, in the form of independent groups (but affiliated with American security agencies), have been working against our country.

The fact is that "Iran Action Group" aims at overthrowing the Iranian regime and creating a gap between the rulers and people in our country. Although this is denied by those like Pompeo and Brian Hooke, the practical approach of the Trump government and, in general, all American government, has been based on this. Announcing the group’s creation, Pompeo said: “The Iran Action Group will be responsible directing, reviewing, and coordinating all aspects of the State Department’s Iran-related activity.”

Pompeo continued; "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 will remain closely synchronized with our interagency partners. The IAG will also lead the way in growing efforts with nations which share our understanding of the Iranian threat."

Meanwhile, the existence of paradoxes and inconsistencies in the American authorities' behavior towards Iran is remarkable. The U.S. Secretary of State is trying to portray the image of a "full-fledged opposition" to Iran. This is while U.S. President Donald Trump speaks of having talks with the Iranian officials without pre-conditions. This paradox reveals the U.S. desperation and confusion against the "powerful Iran" more than anything.

On the other hand, as it was mentioned at the beginning of this article, such groups and committees have been repeatedly formed during the last 40 years. In this time, the U.S. parties have made every effort to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran and oppose the Iranian nation. It should not be forgotten that in this equation, there is no difference between Jimmy Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Obama or Trump. Therefore, Pompeo's remarks are a clear indication of the actual opposition between the United States and Iran. The announcement of the formation of the "Iran Action Group" is not a new story for those who follow the U.S. anti-Iranian activities. This is a cross-sectional tactic and, of course, a cliché that will not bring Washington to its goals.

Another important point that should accordingly be taken into consideration is the "smart observation" of the United States policies by the Islamic Republic of Iran. If we take this approach, as we did in the past 40 years, we can make sure that Trump's failure costs will be above those of his predecessors! It should not be forgotten that the more severe the U.S. "action" against Iran, the stronger the "reaction" of Iran towards the United States. This is a rule that many American strategists have understood and have warned the White House about. As Barbara Slavin, the director of the Future of Iran Initiative said: “It’s just an example of the tone-deaf Iran policy of this (Trump) administration.”

Source: Tehran Times