Credit:   UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe  /  Michael Richard Pompeo, Secretary of State of the United States of America, addresses United Nations  Security Council meeting on challenges to peace and security in the Middle East at world headquarters in New York Aug. 20, 2019. 

Gary Raynaldo   DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  – NEW YORK –  U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo returned to the world stage at the United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East Tuesday and accused Iran of “extortion diplomacy”.   Pompeo’s speech before the UN Security Council focused  on Iran as tensions escalate amid  recent tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz in the volatile Gulf region.  The US  has launched an aggressive effort to protect international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.    “Iran continues to threaten further expansions of its nuclear program in defiance of its international commitments,” Pompeo told the Security Council.  The U.S. Secretary of State’s last appearance before the Security Council was last December where Pompeo  urged the 15-member body to prevent Iran from working on ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

“Since the United States declared our intention to bring all Iranian oil purchases to zero in April, the ayatollah has gone all in on a campaign of extortion diplomacy. Here’s just a short list of what the regime has done since July:  On July 1st, Iran surpassed its 300-kilogram limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile in defiance of its nuclear commitments. On July 2nd, the Iran-backed Houthis attacked Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia, and they’ve continued to do so since that time. On July 8th, Iran reached levels of enrichment of about four and a half percent, breaching its nuclear commitments, which cap enrichment at 3.67 percent.”

-U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo

“And of course, the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies continue to foment terror and unrest in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen with devastating humanitarian consequences,”  Pompeo added. 

“Time is drawing short to continue this activity of restricting Iran’s capacity to foment its terror regime. The international community will have plenty of time to see how long it has until Iran is unshackled to create new turmoil, and figure out what it must do to prevent this from happening.”

IRAN Blames United States For Prolonging Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Meanwhile, Iran’s representative said the United States is responsible for prolonging the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and its involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen has contributed to support for terrorist groups.  Describing that country’s military presence in the Persian Gulf as one of the main causes of instability and insecurity in the Middle East, he said another destabilizing factor is the unbridled flow of American weaponry into the region.  

MARIA LUIZA RIBEIRO VIOTTI, Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary‑General of the United Nations, said the situation in the Middle East remains troubling and complex, with some countries characterized by protracted conflicts, geopolitical tensions, governance issues and severe deficits in socioeconomic development.    “The list of challenges is long, but this should not deter us,” she said, recommending several steps, among them preventing the most acute flashpoints in the region from boiling over, keeping channels of communication open, and fostering confidence-building measures to bring the relevant parties towards dialogue.  While the U.S. and Israel kept the focus on IRAN, most of the Security Council members were of the opinion that the  Israeli-Palestinian conflict merits urgent resolution.  “…the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the longest-standing issue on the peace and security agenda of the United Nations, with a just two-State solution acceptable to both sides being essential for the future of the entire region.  Indeed, realizing the promise of full respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and international humanitarian law requires commitment and bold action, including by addressing the root causes of violence,” the Chef de Cabinet to UN Secretary-General stated.

SOUTH AFRICA:  Palestinian-Israeli Question Remains The Core Issue  in  Middle East. 

Jerry Matthews Matjila , South Africa Representative to United Nations 

JERRY MATTHEWS MATJILA  (South Africa) said the Palestinian-Israeli question remains the core issue in the Middle East.   “Its resolution would have a positive impact on the entire region,” the S. African ambassador stated.   He expressed deep concern at the humanitarian cost of various conflicts in the Middle East and called in particular on the international community to pay equal attention to Yemen, scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.  He urged the United States to reconsider its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.   The S. African envoy added that,  for its part, the Council must display the required political will and good faith to resolve long-standing conflicts such as the question of Palestine.  He went on to emphasize the importance of implementing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and achieving the objective of a nuclear-free Middle East.

Credit: Gary Raynaldo  /  U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo after UN Security Council meeting during press conference Aug. 20, 2019 

DIPLOMATIC TIME Video /  Sec. State Pompeo speaks to press at  after Security Council Middle East meeting. 

“I used my time today to condemn the regime’s support to proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, as well as its inexcusable and unprovoked sabotage and seizure of commercial vessels in the Gulf. Iran’s continued development and testing of advanced ballistic missiles in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 is also an issue that the international community must address. Failing to confront the Iranian regime’s malign activities will only grow the regime’s multicontinental body count spanning the last 40 years.”

-U.S. Sec. State Pompeo

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  Michael Pompeo, US  Secretary of State, and Jacek Czaputowicz, Foreign Minister of Poland give statement to media on the challenges to peace and security in the Middle East after Security Council meeting Aug. 20, 2019.

DIPLOMATIC TIME Video  /Jacek Czaputowicz, Foreign Minister of Poland on the challenges to peace and security in the Middle East.

United States To Increase American Troops in POLAND to 5,500

“Relations with the United States are crucial. We are located in Central and Eastern Europe. For us, that threat perception is very important. We are – we feel threatened by our eastern neighbor, meaning Russia. The United States is a key state in NATO alliance. We attach great importance to our security, therefore we cooperate in military field. We are very pleased that the United States agreed to strengthen its military presence in Poland, increase the number of American troops stationing in Poland from 2,500 to 5,500.”

-Jacek Czaputowicz, Foreign Minister of Poland said, whose country  is President of the UN Security Council for month of August.