VOA常速英语:The Iranian Threat

The United States remains vigilant to prevent Iran from gaining any new ground in the Middle East.

Speaking to the Israeli Knesset, Vice President Mike Pence said, “The United States will continue to work with Israel, and with nations across the world, to confront the leading state sponsor of terror -- the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The regime in Iran is a brutal dictatorship that seeks to dominate its citizens and deny them their most fundamental rights. History has proven, those who dominate their own people rarely stop there, said Mr. Pence. “And increasingly, we see Iran seeking to dominate the wider Arab world.”

The Iranian regime sows chaos across the region. “Last year alone, even as its citizens cried out for help with basic necessities, Iran devoted more than $4 billion to malign activities in Syria, Lebanon, and elsewhere across the region. It has supported terrorist groups that even now sit on Israel's doorstep.

The U.S. is “working to enact effective and lasting restraints on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” said Mr. Pence. “Earlier this month, the President waived sanctions on Iran to give the Congress and our European allies time to pass stronger measures. But as President Trump made clear, this is the last time.”

The United States, vowed Vice President Pence, “will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Beyond the nuclear deal, we will also no longer tolerate Iran's support of terrorism, or its brutal attempts to suppress its own people.”

To the people of Iran, the U.S. has another message, declared Mr. Pence, “We are your friends, and the day is coming when you will be free from the evil regime that suffocates your dreams and buries your hopes. And when your day of liberation finally comes, we say to the good people of Iran, the friendship between our peoples will blossom once again.”