US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled his trip to Germany and made a surpise visit to Baghdad despite the threat of US government over Iran. It was two days after US national security adviser John Bolton affirmed that United States was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln and a bomber task force to Iran due to indications that “Iran is escalating their activity.”
Pompeo was due to meet both Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Germany.
He spent four hours in Iraq and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraqi President Barham Salih and other Iraqi leaders to discuss the safety of US interests from Iran.
“I wanted to go to Baghdad to speak with the leadership there, to assure them that we stood ready to continue to ensure that Iraq was a sovereign, independent nation,†Pompeo said.
Pompeo made the unannounced visit a year after US President Donald Trump decided to withdrew the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran.
As part of his responsibility for being the secretary of state, he said that he also want to make sure the safety of those who work for him each and everyday.
“They both provided assurances that they understood that was their responsibility. There were attacks that were imminent,” Pompeo added.
However, the top US diplomat declined to give further details on the said meeting.
