Brian Hook named U.S. Special Representative for Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced the appointment of a special representative for Iran to coordinate U.S. policy.

In a briefing on August 16, Pompeo said Brian Hook, the State Department’s director of policy planning, will head the new Iran Action Group (IAG) and will coordinate actions among various U.S. agencies.

Pompeo said that "we're committed to a whole-government effort to change the Iranian regime's behavior, and the Iran Action group will ensure that the State Department remains closely synchronized with our interagency partners."

He added that the IAG will also coordinate policy with the "growing" number of nations that share the U.S. understanding "of the Iranian threat."

Hook, in turn, stressed that the IAG was part of U.S. efforts to deal with the wide range of "malign" Iranian activities, including its "aspirations for nuclear weapons," support for terrorism, cyberactivities, and the proliferation of ballistic missiles, RFE/RL reported.