Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the Trump administration will continue to work to bring Americans detained abroad back home.
CBS "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan asked Pompeo about Americans detained in Iran and if the Trump administration announcing it would leave the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would jeopardize the release of those American prisoners.
"First, everyone should know that this administration is intent on bringing home every American who is held anywhere in the world," Pompeo said as he mentioned some of the other Americans who are held around the world.
Pompeo recently visited North Korea for the second time and secured the release of three American prisoners. During his visit, Pompeo finalized the details for the upcoming summit between Trump and Kim. Trump announced that his meeting with Kim will take place in Singapore on June 12, saying they would try to make it a "very special moment for world peace."
"With respect to whether the actions of this past week, with respect to the JCPOA increased anyone's risk, I think that's ludicrous," Pompeo said. "The Iranian bad behavior increased, it only increased, during the time of the JCPOA."
Pompeo also reminded Brennan that Kim returned the prisoners in North Korea without giving anything up and that their release was in North Korea's best interest. Pompeo said releasing American prisoners would also be in Iran's best interest, especially if they are interested in having European businesses invest in their country and their struggling economy.
Iran recently launched an attack against Israel that came less than two days after Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the JCPOA, often referred to as the Iran nuclear deal. Iranian leaders threatened harsh reprisals against the United States following Trump's decision to abandon the nuclear deal and reimpose a series of harsh sanctions on Tehran.