Pompeo Discusses Countering Shia Militia, Iran With Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel-Spokesperson
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed measures to counter the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia's operations in Iraq and Syria, and Iranian influence in the Middle East in a series of phone calls with high-level officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st December, 2019) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed measures to counter the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia's operations in Iraq and Syria, and Iranian influence in the middle East in a series of phone calls with high-level officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
Pompeo and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Monday discussed Hezbollah strikes on US forces in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk that killed one contractor, in addition to US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. Both Pompeo and bin Salman also agreed that measures were required to counter perceived Iranian threats in the region, according to the statement.
"The Secretary and the Crown Prince agreed that the Iranian regime and its proxies continue to be a destabilizing force in the region and that nations have a right to defend themselves in the face of these threats. The Secretary underscored that attacks by the Iranian regime, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies, or our interests will be answered with a decisive response, as demonstrated yesterday," Ortagus was quoted as saying in the statement.
A similar tone was found in conversations between Pompeo and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Both parties expressed their concern over Kata'ib Hezbollah attacks in Iraq, and agreed that US retaliation was justified, defensive and proportionate. Both bin Zayed and Pompeo agreed to cooperate further to curb Iran's influence in the region, the spokesperson stated.
Pompeo also held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with their conversation turning to the question of US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.
"The Secretary reiterated that the U.S. will take decisive action to defend its citizens and their interests against Iranian threats," Ortagus stated.
Washington stated on Friday that Kata'ib Hezbollah attacked a US base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk that left one US solider killed and four others injured. In response, the US military stated on Sunday that it carried out "defensive strikes" in retaliation on five Kata'ib Hezbollah facilities in Iraq and Syria. The Popular Mobilization Forces, a group of Iran-backed Shia militias in Iraq that includes Kata'ib Hezbollah, said that 25 fighters were killed and a further 51 were injured in the US attack.
On Monday, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei stated that Tehran denies all involvement in any attacks on US military forces.