Trump’s Iran envoy blasts Tehran missile work, downplays prospects for NY meeting
Brian Hook, the US special envoy on Iran, said any new agreement with Iran would have to curb Iran’s transfer of ballistic missile technology.
WASHINGTON — Brian Hook, the US special envoy on Iran, cited Iran’s continuing development, testing and transfer of ballistic missile technology as a key flaw of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that President Donald Trump withdrew from in May.
Speaking this morning to the conservative Hudson Institute, Hook repeated many of the US administration’s previous critiques of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from its sunset provision to its failure to address Iran’s support for terrorism and militant proxy groups in the region.
Hook said the Trump administration would still be willing to negotiate with the Iranians on a treaty to address its wider concerns, but he suggested little expectation that the Iranians would take up the offer soon, even as further, tougher US sanctions on Iran’s oil exports come into effect over the coming months.
“The president and secretary have all made clear we are ready to negotiate and to have those discussions,” Hook said.
