Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed strong support Thursday for the joint American-Israeli military campaign against Iran, saying the operation launched in February should have been carried out years earlier.
Speaking to Al Arabiya, Pompeo was asked whether he had immediately supported the decision to launch the campaign.
“A hundred percent. What actually went through my mind is it was seven years too late, or maybe 17 years too late," he replied.
“This was a long-delayed effort. It was a deferred liability on the international balance sheet, and thank God President Trump made that choice to go after it," Pompeo added.
The former Secretary of State argued that taking military action sooner could have prevented Iran from acquiring what he termed “Shia drones" and developing medium-range ballistic missiles.
He also criticized former President Barack Obama's 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran, warning that further delays could have allowed Iran to develop military capabilities similar to those of North Korea.
According to Pompeo, waiting another two to five years could have left the United States confronting “a conventional weapon system surrounding a nuclear program that is nearly impossible to touch."
Pompeo said he hoped the campaign would continue until Iran's leadership faced pressure to fundamentally alter its policies.
“I remember thinking, I hope we stay at this until this regime has to make a fundamentally difficult decision and change its nature," he said.