US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America’s top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programmes.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America’s top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programmes.

He also urged Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to resolve a dispute with Qatar that US officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria.

Mr Pompeo met Saudi King Salman, whose country – along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates – is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had affected Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the US as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness. Secretary Pompeo: A political solution is the only way to advance a long term stability in #Yemen and end the suffering. pic.twitter.com/PJTtSNmhFA — Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia’s southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what US officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran.

Senior US officials travelling with Mr Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration’s push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“Iran destabilises this entire region,” Mr Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. While not mentioning Qatar by name, Mr Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was “essential”.

Mr Al-Jubeir said the kingdom “supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran”. Secretary Pompeo: Saudi Arabia's vision for 2030 & reform agenda are inspiring initiatives - they promote tolerance, respect & econ development & inspire women. We support this important work & the leadership the Crown Prince has shown to advance our shared econ interests. pic.twitter.com/lhxELuTiAj — Department of State (@StateDept) April 29, 2018 Mediation efforts on the Qatar issue led by Kuwait and supported by the US, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson – who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful.

The split gives Iran “room to play” and hampers co-operation on a wide array of other issues, including combating violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, officials said.</s>Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.</s>Mike Pompeo, on his maiden trip as U.S. secretary of state, is using the three-day visit in the Middle East to garner international support to pressure Iran to modify its nuclear program.

During a stop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Pompeo urged unity among the Gulf states — saying cooperation and easing of economic tensions with Qatar is "necessary."

Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have halted trade with Qatar, accusing the natural gas-rich nation of aiding terrorism and maintaining close ties with Iran. The discord between the Gulf states has frustrated U.S. officials' attempts to weaken the influence of Iran in the region.

"We've got a common challenge in Iran. I think they all recognize that," Pompeo said in remarks to reporters. "We're hopeful that they will in their own way figure out their dispute between them."

Pompeo's arrived in Riyadh shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a barrage of missiles into Saudi Arabia, killing at least one person. The attack is the latest sign that the raging civil war in Yemen continues to further threaten stability in the region.

During the state visit, Pompeo also assured Saudi Arabia that the U.S. will follow through with President Trump's commitment to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear accord. The deal, reached under the Obama administration, essentially lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing its nuclear weapons program.

Echoing Trump's sentiment that the foreign policy was a "bad deal," Pompeo said the accord has failed to moderate Iran's behavior. "In fact, Iran has only behaved worse since deal was approved," Pompeo said.

Pompeo told NATO leaders in Brussels on Saturday that unless a substantial fix is made, the U.S. is unlikely to remain in the deal.

And that decision, he said, would not impact expected talks between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "I don't think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, 'Oh goodness, if they get out of that deal, I won't talk to the Americans anymore,' " Pompeo said.

Pompeo is the highest ranking U.S. official to meet with the North Korean dictator. The two met in secret while Pompeo was still CIA director. He tells ABC News that he met Kim with "a clear mission" of irreversible denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, and that there is still a lot to be done before that goal is reached. He says the administration is going into the scheduled talks with eyes wide open, "We're not going to take words. We're going to look for actions and deeds," he said.

Trump is expected to make a decision on whether to stay in the Iran nuclear deal by May 12.

Two days later, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem is scheduled to open its doors. Pompeo is meeting next with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who Pompeo calls "a true friend."</s>TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday as a “true friend of Israel,” and both men affirmed that the U.S.-Israeli relationship has never been stronger.

Pompeo expressed pride in the administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv, a decision that prompted a lopsided vote of condemnation at the United Nations and spurred a handful of nations to move their own embassies to Jerusalem.

“By recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and seat of its government, we are recognizing reality,” he said.

Both Pompeo and Netanyahu used their meeting to tear into Iran, characterizing it as an international menace whose ambitions have been unleashed by the 2015 nuclear deal, a view shared as well at Pompeo’s previous stop, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

“People thought Iran’s aggression would be moderated as a result of signing the deal,” Netanyahu said. “The opposite has happened. Iran is trying to gobble up one country after the other. Iran must be stopped.”

Pompeo said Iran aims to dominate the entire Middle East, adding, “The United States is with Israel in this fight.”

Although Netanyahu praised the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as bold and historic, he met Pompeo in Tel Aviv, not in Jerusalem as originally planned. Pompeo had no plans to meet with any Palestinians, who have stopped talking to U.S. officials since the Jerusalem decision. Nor did he plan to visit the site in Jerusalem that the administration is upgrading into an embassy.

Pompeo was accompanied by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and while posing for photos before the meeting, Netanyahu congratulated Pompeo on his new position.

“We are very proud of the fact that this is your first visit as secretary of state,” Netanyahu said.

Pompeo replied, “You’re an incredibly important partner (and) occupy a special place in my heart, too.”

Apart from updating Netanyahu on the looming decision on whether to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and coordinating ways to contain Iran in Syria, the Pompeo visit serves to set him apart from his predecessor, Rex Tillerson.

During his 14-month tenure, Tillerson never visited Israel solo, only accompanying Trump. Under Tillerson, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was largely removed from the oversight of the State Department and added to the portfolio of Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“Pompeo’s early and quick trip to the region, particularly to Israel, is also a form of station identification that the new secretary of state intends to become a dominant force in Middle East policymaking,” said Aaron David Miller, a former State Department official specializing in Middle East issues who is now at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

In Brussels on Friday, Pompeo said he wanted to bring the “swagger” back to the State Department, and this trip is a step toward the goal. Under Tillerson, the voice most Americans heard on U.S. foreign policy was that of Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who is believed to harbor larger political ambitions for herself. The trip allows Pompeo to reclaim that role for the top U.S. diplomat, even as he has assiduously mentioned Trump’s name in every public appearance he has made.

“Year Two in Trumpland may be a very different place on the foreign policy side,” Miller said, hastening to add, “with one exception — Trump will still sit at the center of it all.”

The May 12 deadline for Trump to decide whether to stick with or leave the Iran nuclear deal was the backdrop to every discussion Pompeo had. Talking to reporters on the plane en route from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv, Pompeo brushed aside concerns that a decision to withdraw from the agreement could derail nuclear negotiations with North Korea.

“I don’t think Kim Jong Un is staring at the Iran deal and saying, ‘Oh, goodness, if they get out of that deal, I won’t talk to the Americans anymore,” Pompeo said. “There are higher priorities, things that he is more concerned about than whether or not the Americans stay” in the Iran deal.
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• N. Korea to close nuke test site in May, unify time zone Pompeo is the highest-level U.S. official to have spoken with North Korea’s leader. Pompeo has repeatedly warned that Trump will walk away from the Iran deal if it is not strengthened with “fixes” that address Iran’s ballistic missile testing and other issues.

Potential talks with North Korea about Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons were expected to be an incentive for Trump to remain in the Iran deal, so as not to make Kim distrustful of U.S. intentions.

Pompeo’s dismissal of that notion, however, suggests that Trump won’t consider it much of an obstacle, either.

“I am confident that Kim Jong Un is looking for more than a piece of paper,” Pompeo said.

Rather, he added, Kim is “going to look for aligning our interests, right? Setting up what we talk about as concrete, irreversible actions, assurances that … if we are able to be successful achieving this, that it will be lasting.”

In Riyadh, Pompeo proclaimed the Iran deal — which was negotiated by the Obama administration and included five other world powers — a failure.

“The nuclear deal has failed to moderate the regime’s conduct in many areas,” Pompeo said, reading from written remarks and taking no questions from reporters. “In fact, Iran has only behaved worse since the deal was approved.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has said repeatedly that Iran has complied with the terms of the agreement.

Citing Tehran’s support for Houthi rebels in Yemen and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, Pompeo added at Riyadh’s airport, “Unlike the prior administration, we will not neglect the vast scope of Iran’s terrorism.”

Pompeo meets with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman on Monday before returning to Washington.</s>RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat to call for concerted international action to punish Iran for its missile programs.

He's also urging Saudi Arabia and its neighbours to resolve a long-festering dispute with Qatar that U.S. officials say Iran is exploiting to boost its influence in the region, including in Yemen and Syria.

Pompeo met Sunday with Saudi King Salman, whose country, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is embroiled in a row with Qatar that had hobbled Gulf Arab unity and frustrated the U.S. as it seeks to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness.

The ex-CIA chief had arrived in Riyadh a day earlier, shortly after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at Saudi Arabia's southern city of Jizan, killing one person and underscoring what U.S. officials said is a growing threat emanating from Iran.

Senior U.S. officials travelling with Pompeo blamed Iran for smuggling the missiles into Yemen. They said the incident highlighted the importance of the Trump administration's push to counter Iran in the region. Iran has also provided crucial support to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"Iran destabilizes this entire region," Pompeo said in brief remarks to journalists with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, taking no questions. While not mentioning Qatar by name, Pompeo also stressed that Gulf unity was "essential."

Al-Jubeir said the kingdom "supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran."

Senior U.S. officials, who were not authorized to preview Pompeo's discussions with the Saudi leadership and spoke on condition of anonymity, said he would make it clear to the Saudis that the dispute with Qatar must end.

Mediation efforts led by Kuwait and supported by the U.S., including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who Trump fired last month, have proven unsuccessful. The split gives Iran "room to play" and hampers co-operation on a wide array of other issues, including combatting violent extremism from the Islamic State and other groups, the officials said.

The officials said Pompeo would call on other nations to impose tougher sanctions against Iranian individuals, businesses and government agencies involved in missile development. They said he'd also stress the U.S. commitment to the defence of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other friends and partners in the region. Pompeo will also press the Saudis on contributing more to stabilization efforts in territory in Syria recently liberated from the Islamic State group, the officials said.

Pompeo's meetings in Saudi Arabia, which will be followed by discussions in Israel and Jordan, come just weeks ahead of several key dates that could bring further volatility to the region.

Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties.

Two days later, the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. That will mark a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital.

The embassy move is deeply opposed by the Palestinians, who on May 15 will mark the anniversary of what they term the "nakba," or catastrophe, when they fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that attended Israel's creation. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during recent violent protests along border between Israel and Gaza.

On Friday at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, the first stop on his trip, Pompeo repeated Trump's pledge to withdraw from the Iran deal unless it is significantly strengthened. He said the U.S. was "unlikely" to stay in if that was not done.

"Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May," Pompeo said.

Also looming over the trip is uncertainty over Trump's policy on Syria, which has shifted between a speedy all-out withdrawal of American forces and leaving a lasting footprint to deter Iran from completing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut.</s>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Latest on U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo's trip to the Middle East (all times local):

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has offered a strong boost of support for Israel against Iran.

On his first official trip abroad, Pompeo met with Israeli Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to in Tel Aviv on Sunday to discuss both countries' concerns about Iran. Both men described the talks as successful.

"We remain deeply concerned about Iran's dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region and Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said. "The United States is with Israel in this fight."

Pompeo also said the U.S. will withdraw from the international nuclear agreement with Iran if it is not renegotiated. Netanyahu has long urged the international community to revise the deal or scrap it.

The new U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Pompeo is using the Middle East leg of his first official trip abroad to punish Iran for its missile programs.

Ahead of Pompeo's arrival, Netanyahu said the talks would focus on "Iran's growing aggression" in the region and the upcoming U.S. decision on the international nuclear agreement with Iran.

He called Pompeo, who advocates a hard line against Iran, a "true friend" of Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Saudi Arabia, kicking off the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America's top diplomat.

His visit on Saturday comes just weeks ahead of several key dates that have potential to further roil the already volatile region.

President Donald Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal — something he appears likely to do despite heavy pressure to stay in from European and other parties.

Two days later the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant shift in decades of American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital.

After Saudi Arabia, Pompeo goes to Israel and Jordan.</s>U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Israel Sunday as part of his first foreign trip since being confirmed in his new post.

 

 He arrived from Saudi Arabia, where Pompeo's senior policy adviser, Brian Hook, who is accompanying Pompeo, called on European allies and other countries to impose sanctions on Iran to weaken its missile program.

 

 "We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," Hook told reporters in Riyadh.

The three day trip, during which he is expected to brief U.S. allies on administration policy towards Iran, also includes a stop in Jordan.

 

 Friday in Brussels Pompeo said no decision has been made on whether President Donald Trump will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, adding that negotiations are ongoing.

 

 At his first news conference in his new job, Pompeo said, "Absent a substantial fix, absent overcoming the shortcomings, the flaws of the deal, he [President Trump] is unlikely to stay in that deal past this May."

Pompeo said he had discussed the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, with his NATO counterparts. The top U.S. diplomat said this issue likely would be high on the agenda when he travels to the Middle East after leaving Brussels.

 

 Pompeo also fielded questions on countering Russian attacks on Western democracy, Ukraine, his visit to North Korea and morale at the State Department. Asked about a demoralized work force back in Washington, Pompeo said he had met with State Department officers at the NATO mission in Brussels. He said they may have been demoralized, but seemed in good spirits.

 

 "They are hopeful that the State Department will get its swagger back, that we will be out doing the things that they came on board at the State Department to do, to be professional, to deliver American diplomacy around the world; that is my mission set."

 

 Pompeo indicated he would meet with State Department employees on Tuesday after returning to Washington.

 

 Asked about his recent meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Pompeo declined to say if Kim is stable. Pompeo did say he believes Kim is serious about a planned summit with Trump. Pompeo congratulated the Republic of Korea and North Korea on a historic meeting, and the Korean people’s aspirations for peace and prosperity.

 

 "Let there be no doubt, we would not be where we are today without President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign, and the work that has been done all around the world to apply pressure to North Korea."

 

 Making his first trip hours after he was confirmed sent a strong signal of U.S. support to its NATO allies, Pompeo said:

 

 "I hopped straight on a plane and came straight here," Pompeo told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "There's good reason for that. The work that's being done here today is invaluable and our objectives are important and this mission means a lot to the United States of America."

 

 Pompeo said President Trump "very much wanted me to get here."

 

 Stoltenberg and others leaders in Brussels say they appreciated Pompeo's quick action to attend Friday's talks.

 

 "I feel that that's a great expression of the importance of the alliance and the importance we attach to the alliance and I very much look forward to talking with you, on the need to adapt NATO to a more demanding security environment," the NATO secretary general told Pompeo.

 

 Stoltenberg added, "Your valued and long experience will make you a perfect person to be the top diplomat of the United States."

 

 International leaders and foreign policy experts will likely observe Pompeo closely in his first weeks on the job to get a read on where the United States stands, as North Korea, Syria and Iran dominate headlines.

 

 Pompeo is said to be more "hawkish" on the Iranian government than his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, who wanted the U.S. to stay in the Iran nuclear agreement.

 

 Tillerson was abruptly fired by Trump last month, just hours after returning from a trip to Africa. Trump said he and Pompeo are much more "on the same wavelength" on Iran and other issues.

 

 During his confirmation hearing, a number of Democratic senators expressed concern that Pompeo is too close to Trump, and may not stand up to Trump when the two disagree on policy. Republican lawmakers noted Pompeo's close relationship to Trump will be a great asset on the world stage.</s>US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir in Riyadh (Reuters)</s>Mike Pompeo, the new US secretary of state, has arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of a three-day Middle East tour that also includes Jordan and Israel.

Pompeo was greeted in Riyadh on Saturday by his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir and was expected to meet Khalid bin Salman, the kingdom's ambassador to the US, as well as attend a working dinner hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

US state department officials told Reuters news agency the tour, which will include stops in Jerusalem and Amman, is aimed at solidifying ties with key US allies in the region.

It is expected that Pompeo's meetings with the regional leaders will focus on the Iran nuclear deal, which President Donald Trump wants revised.

Trump has criticised the nuclear agreement reached with Iran in July 2015 as the "worst deal ever" and has, at times, threatened to terminate it.

Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - all signatories to the deal - have insisted it be kept intact.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the US Congress this week and conceded while the agreement "may not address all concerns", the parties to the deal "should not abandon it without having something more substantial instead".

A former CIA director for Trump, Pompeo was sworn in by the Senate as the United States' chief diplomat on Thursday.

On Friday, Pompeo headed the US delegation to a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.</s>ISRAEL (CBSMiami) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is calling for international action to punish Iran for its missile programs.

The nation’s top diplomat is finishing up the final leg of his first trip abroad…meeting with allies in the Middle East.

Pompeo arrived in Jordan Sunday after whirlwind visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel, where he repeatedly took aim at Iran.

“We remain deeply concerned about Iran’s dangerous escalation of threats to Israel and the region,” Pompeo said.

Pompeo promised full U.S. support to Israel which claims Iran has ramped up assistance to anti-Israel militant groups and its long-range missile programs.

“Iran must be stopped. Its quest for nuclear bombs must be stopped,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel is also leading calls for the international community to revise its 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

President Trump will decide if the U.S. will stay in it by May 12th.

“If we can’t fix it he’s going to withdraw from the deal. It’s pretty straight forward,” said Pompeo.

Pompeo does not think exiting the Iran deal will play any role in the de-nuclearization efforts with North Korea.

Pompeo kicked off fresh negotiations with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in a secret visit last month.

“My goal was to try to identify if there was a real opportunity there, I believe there is,” Pompeo said.

Trump is making plans to meet with the North Korean leader within next month or two.

Pompeo also said he was proud to be relocating the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem.
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States will quit the agreement if its "flaws" can't be fixed.