Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, has threatened Iran with “the strongest sanctions in history” and vowed to use all economic and military pressure to “crush” Tehran’s operatives and proxies around the world.

The threat comes just after President Donald Trump announced that he would withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement — known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA — which he deemed flawed because it did not keep Iran from testing ballistic missiles and would eventually expire.

Mr Trump also argued that Iran was not in compliance with the basic goal of the deal – to restrict Iran from enriching weapons-grade uranium – even though the US State Department and the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had both confirmed compliance repeatedly. The deal was not intended to address ballistic missile development.

Mr Pompeo has demanded major changes from Iran, and has vowed that the country will not develop a nuclear weapon, “not now, not ever”.

The secretary of state announced a list of 12 requirements that Iran must meet before a new deal can be agreed. He said Iran must allow nuclear inspectors “unqualified access to all sites throughout the country”, alluding to military sites that were off-limits under the 2015 deal except under specific circumstances. To that end, he also said Iran must declare all previous efforts to build a nuclear weapon, reopening an issue that the IAEA has already deemed a closed matter.

During his speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, Mr Pompeo also latched onto one of Mr Trump’s main concerns with supporting the nuclear deal – that it did little to curb what the US has called Iran’s “destabilising” actions in the region and beyond.

Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Show all 10 1 /10 Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian MPs burnt a US flag in parliament after Donald Trump announced America's withdrawal from the nuclear deal. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal US President Donald Trump displays a presidential memorandum after announcing his intent to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House. Reuters Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Some Iranian MPs reacted after Trumps decision by shouting 'death to America'. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian lawmakers prepare to burn two pieces of papers representing the US flag and the nuclear deal. AP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran said it will hold talks with signatories to the nuclear deal after Trump's decision to withdraw from the accord, which it branded "psychological warfare". AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Several Iranian MPs stood chanting in the Tehran parliament. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian MPs burning a US flag AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal President Hassan Rouhani addressed the nation in a televised speech in Tehran. He said he'd send his foreign minister to negotiate with countries remaining in the nuclear deal after Trump's decision to pull America from the deal, warning he otherwise would restart enriching uranium "in the next weeks." Iranian Presidency Office via AP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran's press condemned Trump's withdrawal from a multi-party nuclear deal but was divided over whether Tehran should react with patience or withdraw itself. AFP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Trump announced the US withdrawal from what he called the "defective" multinational nuclear deal with Iran, and said Washington would reinstate sanctions against the Islamic republic. AFP/Getty

A number of the demands require that Iran cease from a range of activities throughout the Middle East that have long drawn the ire of the US and its allies. He said Iran must end support for Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen, “withdraw all forces” from Syria, halt support for its ally Hezbollah and stop threatening Israel.

Other requirements are that Iran stops developing ballistic missiles, that it releases Americans held in detention in the country, and that it stops supporting groups in the Middle East considered to be terrorist organisations by the United States.

“Is this what you want your country to be known for?” Mr Pompeo asked, referring to Iran’s support of Hezbollah. “The United States believe you deserve better.”

President Donald Trump states if Iran restarts their nuclear program there will be severe consequences

In his first major policy address Mr Pompeo said he will work with the US Defence Department and regional allies – a group that includes Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states – to “deter Iranian aggression in the region” including at sea and in cyberspace.

“This is just the beginning,” Mr Pompeo said on Monday of the sanctions that are set to go back into effect now that the US is withdrawing from the deal, which was also brokered by the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. “The sting of sanctions will be painful. These will be the strongest sanctions in history when complete.”

“After our sanctions come into full force, it will be battling to keep its economy alive,” Mr Pompeo said. “Iran will be forced to make a choice: either fight to keep its economy off life support at home or keep squandering precious wealth on fights abroad. It will not have the resources to do both.”

Mr Pompeo’s threat was made through the prism of possible positive outcomes for Iranians, as he offered a possible way out for Iran. Tehran would be granted a series of dramatic potential US concessions if it agrees to make “major changes”. Under a new agreement, Washington would be willing to lift all sanctions, restore full diplomatic and commercial ties with Iran, and even support the modernisation of its economy, Mr Pompeo said.

“Unlike the previous administration, we are looking for outcomes that benefit the Iranian people, not just the regime,” he added.

Mr Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the deal comes as his administration conducts negotiations with North Korea in an attempt to dismantle its nuclear programme. Mr Pompeo has said that those talks – which have been in doubt recently – could serve as a template for future Iranian negotiations.

Other signatories on the Iran deal in Europe have signalled that they will remain committed to it in the wake of Washington’s decision, though it remains unclear how European businesses that have made deals in Iran might navigate reimposed US sanctions on the country.

Following Mr Pompeo's threats, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pushed back, saying that the time when the United States could simply force the rest of the world to act how they want is over, according to Iranian state owned media.

"Who are you to decide for Iran and the world? The world today does not accept America to decide for the world, as countries are independent .. that era is over ... We will continue our path with the support of our nation," Mr Rouhani said, according to ILNA.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said that there is "no alternative" to the nuclear agreement that Mr Trump tore up.

"Secretary Pompeo's speech has not demonstrated how walking away from the JCPOA has made or will make the region safer from the threat of nuclear proliferation or how it puts us in a better position to influence Iran's conduct in areas outside the scope of JCPOA," Ms Mogherini said.