Pompeo hits Biden over response to Iran threat: ‘Not even a deterrent’

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized President Biden’s response to an expected Iran threat, saying the president has greenlit and not deterred the country from a retaliatory attack on Israel.

Biden warned Friday that the Iran attack could happen over the weekend. When asked what his message for Iran is, Biden said “don’t.”

Pompeo joined Fox News’s Martha MacCallum Friday where he criticized the response, saying it’s “really dangerous.”

“Well, he said don’t multiple times and don’t isn’t a national security policy,” Pompeo said. “It’s not even a deterrent.”

The former Secretary of State said the risk of an Iranian attack seems significant, as U.S. officials have sounded the alarm this week.

Western intelligence has assessed that Israel is bracing for a major attack from Iran as a response to an April 1 attack on its embassy in Damascus, Syria. The suspected Israeli attack killed seven Iranian military advisers.

Americans have been told to avoid travel in Israel, U.S. troops have been moved to new positions in the Middle East and fears of a greater regional war continue.

Pompeo said Biden and the United States’ response has already failed.

“The Iranians have already attacked Israel once on October 7 through their proxy Hamas. They’re continuing to fire on American interests in the region now over 100 times since October 7,” he said. “So, what we’re talking about in the next 24 to 48 hours is just a continuation of a failed policy to actually protect Israel.”

Pompeo noted that Iran has fired at Americans, the U.S. has had citizens die in the Red Sea amid attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels and have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

“They haven’t left us out of this and you can’t leave the United States out when you’re attacking our friend and ally in Israel,” he said.

Pompeo added that the administration’s message is a “green light for a regime that has made very clear their intention” is to destroy Israel and the United States.

His comments Friday echo remarks he made last month, when he accused the Biden administration of having a “soft spot” for Tehran. The former secretary of state, who has been an outspoken critic of Biden’s foreign policy, said at the time that it is not possible to negotiate with Iran.