US Extends Protection To Pompeo, Hook Over 'Serious' Iran Threats

Washington extended protection for Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook, officials in Donald Trump’s administration, over the Islamic Republic’s threats, AP reported on Wednesday.

Last month, the State Department informed Congress that the threats against Pompeo, former secretary of state, and Hook, former special envoy for Iran, are still “serious and credible,” which justify the renewal of their protection programs.

According to the Associated Press, the notifications to Congress regarding the extension were signed by Deputy Secretary of State for Management Richard Verma.

This is the 13th and 16th time that the State Department has extended protection to Pompeo and Hook, respectively, since they left office. The 24-hour security measures to protect the former officials cost the US government more than $2 million per month.

Pompeo and Hook were among the staunch supporters of President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against Tehran.

The Islamic Republic has time and again threatened revenge against former US officials for the killing of Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian regime’s top military and intelligence operator in the Middle East who died in a US drone strike in January 2020 in Iraq.

In February 2023, Amirali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace force, repeated the threat to avenge the US killing of Soleimani.

“God willing, we are looking to kill Trump. Pompeo ... and military commanders who issued the order (to kill Soleimani) should be killed,” Hajizadeh said.

Another former official with government protection is John Bolton, UN ambassador during President George Bush and National Security Advisor during Trump. The Justice Department revealed in August 2022 that an operative of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard tried to hire a hitman in the US to kill Bolton.