Pompeo visits Brexit England as Iran lessens atomic consistence
From Pompeo's Brexit Pitch to Trump's Ultimatums: The Unraveling of the 'Special Relationship' (2019‑2026)
In May 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in London with a dual mission. He was there to pitch a post‑Brexit "special relationship" between the United States and a United Kingdom that was tearing itself apart over its exit from the European Union. At the same time, he was delivering a stark warning to Iran, which had just announced it would loosen its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal—the JCPOA—in response to the Trump administration's withdrawal and reimposition of crippling sanctions a year earlier. "The message that we've sent to the Iranians, I trust, sets us in a place where we can hinder, and the Iranians will mull over assaulting American interests," Pompeo told reporters.[reference:0]
Seven years later, the world Pompeo described has been transformed beyond recognition. The "special relationship" he pitched has been buffeted by a global pandemic, a trade deal that never fully materialized, and the return of Donald Trump to the White House—a president whose "America First" doctrine has often treated allies as adversaries. The Iran nuclear deal is in tatters, and the two countries have lurched from the brink of war in 2020 to open conflict in 2025 and 2026. This is the story of how the threads of that 2019 visit—Brexit, Huawei, and Iran—wove together into the current crisis.
📋 The 2019 Starting Point: Pompeo's Pitch and Iran's Ultimatum
The original 2019 article on this site captured the essence of Pompeo's London stopover. He met with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Theresa May, reassuring them that the U.S.‑UK relationship would "thrive" regardless of the chaos surrounding Brexit.[reference:1] He also met with the Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss religious freedom. But the backdrop was one of escalating tension with Iran. Pompeo had just made an unannounced visit to Iraq to reinforce U.S. security concerns, and the Pentagon had announced the deployment of B‑52 bombers to the Middle East to counter what the administration called "clear signs" of Iranian threats.[reference:2]
On the same day, Iran declared it was loosening controls on its nuclear program under the JCPOA, threatening to go further—including enriching uranium to a higher level—if other countries did not shield it from U.S. sanctions.[reference:3] This was the first of what would become a series of calibrated breaches of the deal, each designed to pressure the remaining signatories—the UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia—to deliver economic relief that they were largely powerless to provide.
Pompeo also pressed the UK on Huawei. Washington had been urging allies to bar the Chinese telecom giant from their 5G networks, citing fears of Chinese espionage. The UK, then under Theresa May, was still deliberating, leaning toward a limited role for Huawei in non‑core parts of the network.[reference:4] That debate would be resolved, dramatically, within a year.
💡 Analyst Perspective: The Overlapping Crises
The 2019 visit illustrated how U.S.‑UK relations were being pulled in multiple directions simultaneously. There was the long‑standing security partnership, which included intelligence sharing and military cooperation. There was the new trade relationship that Brexit promised to unlock—a deal that Trump's officials repeatedly said would be ready "pen in hand." And there was the deepening crisis with Iran, which would soon escalate into direct military confrontation. Managing all three at once, while navigating the political turmoil of Brexit and Trump's own unpredictable presidency, was a recipe for the strains that would follow.
💥 The Collapse of the Iran Nuclear Deal: From "Maximum Pressure" to Open Conflict
The Iran nuclear deal, already on life support after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018, entered a terminal phase in 2019 and 2020. Iran's May 2019 announcement was the first of five steps it would take to reduce its compliance with the JCPOA over the following year. Each step—exceeding limits on enriched uranium stockpiles, enriching to higher levels, and installing advanced centrifuges—was carefully calibrated to pressure Europe into providing sanctions relief.[reference:5] But European efforts, including the creation of a special financial mechanism called INSTEX, proved woefully inadequate against the reach of U.S. secondary sanctions.
The "maximum pressure" campaign, spearheaded by Pompeo, aimed to force Iran into a new, more restrictive deal. Instead, it drove Iran to accelerate its nuclear program and lash out militarily. In the fall of 2019, Iran was linked to a series of attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and a devastating drone and missile strike on Saudi oil facilities. The U.S. responded with a military buildup, including the deployment of additional troops and naval assets to the region.[reference:6]
Then, on January 3, 2020, the U.S. killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, in a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport. The assassination—ordered by President Trump—brought the two nations to the brink of war. Iran retaliated five days later with a ballistic missile attack on U.S. bases in Iraq, causing traumatic brain injuries to more than 100 American service members but, remarkably, no immediate deaths.[reference:7] The crisis then subsided, but the underlying conflict never went away.
📱 The UK's Huawei U‑Turn: From "Limited Role" to Total Ban
In January 2020, the UK government announced that Huawei would be allowed a limited role in building parts of its 5G network—specifically, it could supply up to 35% of the equipment in the non‑core "access" part of the network. The decision was a compromise between the security concerns of Washington and the commercial interests of British telecom operators. It satisfied no one. The U.S. warned that any Huawei involvement was a red line, while China accused the UK of bowing to American pressure.
Six months later, in July 2020, the UK reversed course completely. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a total ban on Huawei equipment, with new purchases prohibited after December 31, 2020, and all existing Huawei gear to be removed from UK 5G networks by 2027.[reference:8] The reversal was driven by a combination of factors: intense pressure from the Trump administration, which threatened to curtail intelligence sharing, and the UK's own reassessment of the security risks posed by Chinese technology.
The cost of the U‑turn has been substantial. The UK's 5G rollout has been delayed by up to three years, and the cost of ripping out and replacing Huawei equipment is estimated at more than £500 million.[reference:9] The decision also strained the UK's already tense relationship with Beijing, which accused London of discrimination and political bias. For Pompeo and the Trump administration, however, it was a major diplomatic victory—proof that the "special relationship" could still deliver results, even on the most contentious issues.
💡 Analyst Perspective: The Cost of a U‑Turn
The Huawei ban illustrates a recurring dynamic in the post‑Brexit UK‑U.S. relationship. The UK, seeking to prove its value as an independent global player, has often aligned itself closely with U.S. policy—even when that alignment comes at significant economic and diplomatic cost. The 2020 Huawei reversal was a case in point. It pleased Washington but angered Beijing and delayed Britain's digital infrastructure ambitions. Whether the long‑term strategic benefits outweigh the short‑term costs remains an open question.
🔄 The Biden Interregnum: A Failed Effort to Revive the JCPOA
The election of Joe Biden in 2020 brought a temporary shift in tone. Biden had campaigned on a promise to rejoin the JCPOA, provided Iran returned to full compliance. In April 2021, indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran began in Vienna, mediated by the European Union. The goal was to negotiate a mutual return to the deal—the U.S. lifting sanctions, and Iran rolling back its nuclear advances.[reference:10]
But the talks quickly bogged down. Iran demanded guarantees that future U.S. administrations would not unilaterally withdraw from the deal again—a demand that was constitutionally impossible for any U.S. president to grant. The U.S., for its part, insisted that Iran's missile program and its support for regional proxies be addressed in a "longer and stronger" follow‑on agreement. By mid‑2022, the negotiations had effectively collapsed, and Iran continued to expand its nuclear program, enriching uranium to 60% purity—a level with no plausible civilian use and just a short step from weapons‑grade.[reference:11]
For the UK, the Biden years were a period of relative calm in the "special relationship," but also of diminished influence. Biden, a vocal opponent of Brexit, had little patience for British romanticism about going it alone. He prioritized relations with the EU and made clear that a U.S.‑UK trade deal was not a priority.[reference:12] The UK found itself caught between a U.S. that was less interested and a Europe that it had just left.
💣 Trump's Return and the 2025‑2026 Iran Confrontation: "Operation Midnight Hammer"
Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025 brought the Iran crisis roaring back. Within months, the administration had reimposed the "maximum pressure" campaign with even greater intensity. Iran, now closer than ever to a nuclear breakout capability, accelerated its enrichment activities. The stage was set for a confrontation far more dangerous than the 2020 Soleimani strike.
On June 21, 2025, the United States launched "Operation Midnight Hammer"—a coordinated military strike targeting three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation was preceded by Israeli strikes on Iranian capabilities and was designed to set back Iran's nuclear program by years.[reference:13] Iran's allies—Hezbollah, Iraqi and Syrian militias, and the Houthis in Yemen—were unleashed in retaliation. The conflict, though intense, was largely contained to proxy warfare and lasted only 12 days, but it left the region more volatile than ever.[reference:14]
In early 2026, the U.S. again massed military forces in the Middle East, capable of launching multiple waves of strikes into Iran.[reference:15] Diplomatic efforts, mediated by Oman, have flickered on and off, but the fundamental issues remain unresolved. Iran continues to enrich uranium, and the U.S. continues to demand a complete halt to enrichment and a rollback of Iran's nuclear program—terms that Tehran has repeatedly rejected.[reference:16] The UK, as a close U.S. ally, has found itself drawn into a conflict it did not seek, straining its relations with European partners who favor a more diplomatic approach.
🇬🇧🇺🇸 The "Special Relationship" in 2026: Strained, but Still Standing
If 2019 was the year the "special relationship" was supposed to be reborn, 2026 is the year it has been severely tested. Trump's return to the presidency has brought with it a renewed "America First" agenda that treats allies as instruments of U.S. policy rather than equal partners. The UK's ambassador to Washington, Lord Peter Mandelson, has warned that the UK cannot take the relationship for granted and must not show "complacency" over Trump's "instinctive warmth."[reference:17]
The trade deal that Pompeo promised in 2019—ready "pen in hand"—has never materialized. Instead, Trump has threatened tariffs on British goods, and the UK has been forced to navigate a transactional U.S. approach that demands concessions on everything from defense spending to technology policy. At the same time, the UK has been quietly rebuilding its ties with the European Union, recognizing that it cannot afford to be isolated between a transactional America and a more distant Europe.[reference:18]
The security relationship, however, remains the bedrock of the partnership. The "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance—the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—continues to function effectively. British forces have operated alongside U.S. forces in the Middle East, and the two navies patrol the Gulf together. But even this is under strain. A former UK defence secretary recently warned that Britain's military reliance on the U.S. is "no longer tenable" and urged the government to abandon "sentimentality" about the relationship.[reference:19]
💡 Analyst Perspective: A Relationship in Transition
The "special relationship" is not dead, but it is no longer what it was. The shared history, intelligence cooperation, and military interoperability remain unparalleled. But the political and economic foundations have eroded. The UK, post‑Brexit, is more dependent on the U.S. than ever, yet it faces an American president who views alliances through a purely transactional lens. The challenge for British policymakers in 2026 is to preserve what is valuable in the relationship while building the capacity to act independently when U.S. interests diverge from their own.
🔍 Where Are They Now? The 2019 Cast
The key figures from Pompeo's 2019 London visit have taken divergent paths in the seven years since.
Mike Pompeo
After leaving office in January 2021, Pompeo joined the Hudson Institute as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow and later co‑founded a private equity firm. He has remained active in conservative politics, serving as chair of the Helms School of Government at Liberty University and maintaining close ties to Trump's political operation. He has not ruled out serving in a future Republican administration.[reference:20]
Theresa May
The prime minister who hosted Pompeo in 2019 resigned just weeks after his visit, having failed three times to get her Brexit deal through Parliament. She has since remained a backbench MP, occasionally criticizing her successors from the Conservative benches. Her premiership is now remembered primarily for its paralysis over Brexit.
Jeremy Hunt
The foreign secretary who met Pompeo in 2019 went on to lose the Conservative leadership contest to Boris Johnson later that year. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Johnson and briefly as Prime Minister in 2022 following Johnson's resignation. He led the Conservative Party into the 2024 general election, which resulted in a decisive Labour victory. He remains a prominent figure in British politics, though now in opposition.
📊 U.S.‑UK Relations & Iran Crisis: 2019 vs. 2026
| Aspect | 2019 (Pompeo Visit) | 2026 (Current Reality) |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. President | Donald Trump (first term) | Donald Trump (second term) |
| UK Prime Minister | Theresa May (Conservative) | Labour government (post‑2024 election) |
| Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) | U.S. withdrawn; Iran complying except May 2019 breach | In tatters; Iran enriching to 60%; "Operation Midnight Hammer" 2025 |
| U.S.‑Iran Military Tensions | Saber‑rattling; B‑52 deployments | Open conflict; proxy war; U.S. forces massed for potential strikes |
| UK Huawei Policy | Debating limited role for Huawei | Total ban; equipment to be removed by 2027 |
| U.S.‑UK Trade Deal | Promised "pen in hand" | Never materialized; Trump threatens tariffs |
| "Special Relationship" | Pompeo: "Thriving" despite Brexit | Strained; UK warns against "complacency" and "sentimentality" |
| UK‑EU Relations | Acrimonious Brexit negotiations | Quietly rebuilding ties; pivot back to Europe amid U.S. uncertainty |
📋 The Bottom Line: Key Takeaways for 2026
📋 Pompeo's 2019 Pitch Was a False Dawn: The post‑Brexit "special relationship" promised by Secretary Pompeo has been undermined by Trump's transactional approach, the failure to secure a U.S.‑UK trade deal, and the UK's own political instability.
💣 Iran Is More Dangerous Than Ever: The "maximum pressure" campaign failed to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. Instead, it drove Tehran to accelerate its nuclear program and lash out militarily, culminating in the 2025 "Operation Midnight Hammer" strikes and a volatile 2026 standoff.
📱 The UK Banned Huawei—At a Cost: Under intense U.S. pressure, the UK reversed its initial decision and imposed a total ban on Huawei 5G equipment. The move pleased Washington but delayed Britain's digital ambitions and strained relations with China.
🇬🇧🇪🇺 The UK Is Quietly Re‑Engaging with Europe: Faced with an unpredictable U.S. and a transactional Trump administration, the UK has been rebuilding its ties with the European Union. The "Global Britain" vision has given way to a more pragmatic recognition that the UK cannot afford to be isolated.
⚠️ The "Special Relationship" Is Under Unprecedented Strain: Britain's ambassador to Washington has warned against complacency, and a former defence secretary has said military reliance on the U.S. is "no longer tenable." The relationship endures, but its foundations are shakier than at any time in recent memory.
🔮 The Future Is Uncertain: The outcome of the 2026 U.S.‑Iran standoff will shape the region for years to come. The UK, caught between a transactional ally and a more distant Europe, faces difficult choices about its place in the world.
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