The U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, asserted that “we [have] run a very successful strategy over the last two years, and the President would like to get to talks with the Iranian regime, and we would like to see China, Russia and the European countries join us”. Describing the Iranian government as “a Marxist-theocratic regime that peddles in falsehoods and lies”, Hook contended that “we have been able to affect a change in the regime's behaviour simply by denying its revenue. And we have amassed a lot of leverage against the regime, and that leverage is going to be necessary to accomplish the kind of deal we're talking about. We need to get to zero enrichment… we also need to do something about Iran’s ballistic missiles testing and missile proliferation; all of its hostage-taking and attacking its neighbours”. “We believe that our diplomacy will be able to accomplish that”, he added.