Pompeo to immediately pursue talks with allies on Iran: U.S. officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Immediately on returning from North Korea on Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will embark on talks with allies in Europe, the Middle East and Asia to try to persuade them to press Iran to curb its nuclear and missile programs, U.S. officials said.

The open question is whether the allies, and above all Iran, will agree to resume full-fledged talks having just seen the United States withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and renege on its promises under the landmark arms control accord.

The U.S. hope is that Iran will be dragged to the table by the resumption of U.S. sanctions - and possibly the imposition of more - which would penalize European and other companies and likely cripple Iran’s oil-driven economy.

A senior State Department official said discussions with Britain, France and Germany, as well as Japan, Iraq and Israel on next steps had already taken place since U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pulled out of the nuclear pact.

“There will be an effort to go out globally and talk to our partners around the world who share our interests. That is the first stage,” a senior State Department official said of plans for talks by Pompeo and his chief Iran negotiator, Brian Hook.

https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-diplomacy/pompeo-to-immediately-pursue-talks-with-allies-on-iran-u-s-officials-idUSKBN1IB0EP

Iran targets Israeli positions across Syrian frontier, Israel pounds Syria

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian forces in Syria shelled Israeli army outposts across the Syrian frontier overnight, Israel said, prompting one of the heaviest Israeli strikes in Syria since its civil war began in 2011.

The attack into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights marks the first time Iranian forces have hit Israel from Syria, where they have deployed along with Iran-backed Shi’ite militias to support President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war.

Syrian state media said dozens of Israeli missile strikes hit a radar station, Syrian air defense positions and an ammunition dump, underscoring the risks of a wider escalation involving Iran and its regional allies.

https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-golan-rockets/iran-targets-israeli-positions-across-syrian-frontier-israel-pounds-syria-idUSKBN1IA3GF

Iran's Rouhani seen as lame duck after Trump ditches deal

ANKARA (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani put his political life on the line to champion a nuclear deal with Western powers in the face of fierce opposition from hardliners at home

READ MORE: https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-rouhani/irans-rouhani-seen-as-lame-duck-after-trump-ditches-deal-idUSKBN1IA287

Cheney, Panetta worry about consequences of Iran deal withdrawal

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Dick Cheney and Leon Panetta, who served at the highest levels of U.S. government, see potential unintended consequences of the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, including possible military action in the Middle East.

https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-cheney-panetta/cheney-panetta-worry-about-consequences-of-iran-deal-withdrawal-idUSKBN1IB08E

Rebel House Republicans seek to force 'Dreamer' immigration vote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A breakaway group of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives defied their leaders on Wednesday in an attempt to force bipartisan action on legislation protecting young illegal ‘Dreamer’ immigrants from deportation.

https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-congress-daca/rebel-house-republicans-seek-to-force-dreamer-immigration-vote-idUSKBN1IA2UY

U.S. drone program taps Apple, passes over Amazon, China's DJI

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc soon will be capturing images of North Carolina by drone; a 1,500-pound, unmanned aircraft will look for mosquitoes in Florida; and startup Flirtey will fly medical equipment on drones to heart-attack victims in Nevada

https:// www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drones-companies/u-s-drone-program-taps-apple-passes-over-amazon-chinas-dji-idUSKBN1IA2WC

Pompeo’s Hiring Moves Soothe Diplomats

In staffing and internal policies, he seems to be reversing trends of the Tillerson era that dispirited many diplomats.

ew Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is eyeing a veteran civil servant with decades of diplomatic experience to fill a top post overseeing the foreign service, in one of several moves that seem to be injecting a new sense of optimism into the State Department after 14 difficult months under Pompeo’s predecessor, Rex Tillerson.

The candidate, according to two current and three former top State Department officials, is Daniel Smith, a diplomat with the equivalent rank of a three-star general. He currently serves as the assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research.

The job is one of the more powerful managerial ones in the State Department. Smith would manage the country’s over 13,000 foreign service officers and advocate for the career diplomatic corps.

Having a senior career diplomat oversee other diplomats may seem like a natural choice. But it’s a departure from the approach brought to the job by Tillerson, who left many top posts empty and forced out many high-ranking diplomats as part of his effort to redesign the department. Several former and current officials describe it as a possible bellwether for better times to come under the new boss, who has vowed to fill the department’s depleted top ranks and restore its “swagger.”

READ MORE: http:// foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/09/exclusive-state-department-staff-sees-good-sign-in-pompeos-early-moves-foreign-service-diplomats-diplomacy-secretary-of-state-internal-staffing/