Reacting to Iran’s announcement of its “fourth step” in reducing its JCPOA commitments, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo contended that “Iran’s latest nuclear escalations reflect the regime’s intentions all along: to extort the international community into accepting its violence and terror while it undermines the sovereignty of its neighbours”. “Members of the international community who are rightly concerned with Iran’s latest attacks and provocations”, he added, “should imagine how Iran would behave with a nuclear weapon. The U.S. will never allow this to happen”. Pompeo went on to warn that “Iran’s expansion of proliferation-sensitive activities raises concerns that Iran is positioning itself to have the option of a rapid nuclear breakout. It is now time for all nations to reject this regime’s nuclear extortion and take serious steps to increase pressure”.