Pompeo: US Wants To Stop Iran Oil Exports As Quickly As Possible

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration has "every intention of driving Iranian oil exports to zero just as quickly as we can." Pompeo said the country's role in oil trade is diminishing and that its exports "have tanked due to our pressure campaign."

Pompeo, speaking at the CERAWeek energy summit, accused Iran of using energy to "exert undue influence" in the Middle East, and particularly on Iraq. He said, "While the United States is working to develop an independent, sovereign Iraq, Iran is using its energy to create a vassal state. We have worked hard over the past months to reduce the flow of Iranian crude oil around the world, to convince the Iranian leadership to protect its citizens and deliver to its citizens what it is they're asking for, and to reduce the risk of terror and instability throughout the Middle East." - Istanbul