IRAN/MIKE POMPEO/NUCLEAR/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Incoming U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised to restore the State Department’s ‘swagger’ in his first address to employees on Monday [4-30-18] after a whirlwind tour of Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan over the weekend. Mr. Pompeo was greeted in the State Department’s packed lobby with lengthy applause and cries of encouragement on his first day of work in the building. State Department employees have expressed hope that Mr. Pompeo’s influence at the White House will help elevate the department’s role in policy-making after diplomats complained of feeling sidelined under his predecessor, Rex Tillerson… At the top of the agenda in his first week in office will be President Donald Trump’s decision on whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal by his self-imposed deadline of May 12. Concerns about Tehran’s influence in the Middle East and the threat of its nuclear program dominated Mr. Pompeo’s inaugural trip last weekend, where he joined Israel’s leader in lambasting Iran over alleged violations of the 2015 agreement…By making Saudi Arabia and Israel among the first destinations on his first official trip abroad, Mr. Pompeo underscored the deeper relationship Mr. Trump has tried to develop with the two countries.”
– Jessica Donati, “Pompeo Vows ‘Swagger’ Will Return to State Department’s Work,” The Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2018 3:48 pm