Prior to the Trump administration leaving the White House, the secretary of state has released intel regarding the Islamic Republic’s ties to the notorious terror organization.
With the Trump administration soon transitioning out of the White House, his team has been moving quickly to “seal the deal” in regards to several matters related to the Middle East. Several of these matters relate to Israel’s renewed relationship with multiple Arab nations in the region. However, on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed troubling news related to Israel’s greatest enemy in the region, Iran.
Pompeo claimed that the Iranian regime is acting as host to the Islamic terror organization, Al-Qaeda. He referred to the Islamic Republic as “the new home base” for the organization, and added that “Tehran gives sanctuary to the terror group’s senior leaders as they plan attacks against America and our allies.”
Pompeo continued stating, “Tehran has allowed al-Qaida figures in the country to freely communicate with other al-Qaeda members and perform many functions that were previously directed from Afghanistan and Pakistan, including authorization for attacks, propaganda, and fundraising.”
Earlier in 2020, Al-Qaeda’s number two in command, Abu Muhammad al-Masri was gunned down in the streets of Tehran, which provides strength to the secretary’s claims. Furthermore, the White House is now designating two leaders of the organization who are based in Iran as global terrorists. These include Muhammad Abbatay and Sultan Yusuf Hasan al-‘Arif.
Of course, his claims were met with serious opposition from the Iranian regime. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif responded via Twitter with tough words.
Pompeo further warned that “the Iran-al-Qaeda axis poses a grave threat to the security of nations and to the American homeland itself, and we are taking action.”