US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Tuesday and met with both President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi after telling reporters the United States was concerned about Iraqi sovereignty because of increasing Iranian activity, according to Reuters.
“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 is a sovereign, independent nation,” Pompeo said as cited by Reuters.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his surprise visit Tuesday to Iraq was in response to “escalating” perceived threats from neighboring Iran, AFP reports.