Pompeo to press for boost in exports in meeting with oil execs: report

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will reportedly meet with top U.S. oil executives on Tuesday in an effort to boost U.S. oil exports to Asia and isolate the Iranian government.

Reuters reported that Pompeo is set to discuss U.S. crude oil exports with executives at a conference in Houston in order to garner support for the Asia Edge initiative, which is the Trump administration’s name for its foreign policy aimed at creating stronger U.S. ties with Asian nations in an attempt to lessen Iranian influence on the continent.

{mosads}“The success of Asia Edge is highly dependent on what private industry does and then the work the government can do to support that,” a spokesperson at the State Department told Reuters.

“The main message is how we can work best with the companies. Consequently engaging with the CEOs, especially on Asia Edge, is key because they’re playing a much bigger role than we would have seen in other types of similar issues,” the spokesperson added.

Representatives from top U.S. companies including Chevron, Total and Occidental were scheduled to attend the meeting with Pompeo, according to Reuters. Those three companies declined to comment on the meetings when contacted by the news service, while others did not respond.

The Trump administration is working to isolate Iran’s government following the administration’s exit from the Iran nuclear agreement last year and the decision by the administration to reimpose sanctions previously lifted on the country.

Trump has frequently blasted the “horrible, one-sided” deal signed under the Obama administration while leaving the door open to a future agreement under his presidency. Iranian negotiators have thus far shown no interest in renegotiating the deal.

“The United States remains open to reaching a new, more comprehensive deal with Iran that forever blocks its path to a nuclear weapon, addresses the entire range of its malign actions, and is worthy of the Iranian people,” the White House said last fall.