-
Mike Pompeo and former Iran envoy Brian Hook were the faces of the Trump administration’s Iran sanctions.
-
The State Department said they face “serious and credible” threats from Iran, AP reported.
-
The US spends over $2 million a month to provide them with 24-hour security.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Iran envoy Brian Hook face “serious and credible” threats from Iran, according to the State Department, which spends over $2 million a month to provide them with 24-hour security, The Associated Press reported.
AP obtained a copy of a report that the department shared with Congress on February 14 that said it paid $13.1 million to protect the pair between August 2021 and February 2022.
Both Pompeo and Hook worked for former President Donald Trump’s administration, which had implemented a maximum pressure campaign of sanctions against Iran. The financial sanctions in particular targeted Iranian officials and various industries and took a major toll on Iran’s economy.
Pompeo and Hook were both involved in that effort. After leaving office in January 2021, Pompeo was automatically given 180 days of protection by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, AP reported. Current Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has renewed that protection every 60 days because of the ongoing threat.
Hook, who also served as Senior Policy Advisor to Pompeo, was also granted that special protection for 60 days after leaving office in August 2020. His protection was also renewed because of ongoing threats, according to AP.
The State Department and the Director of National Intelligence have to determine whether to renew both Pompeo and Hook’s protection for another 60 days by March 16 or else it will expire, AP reported.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Read the original article on Business Insider
