The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday night in an unannounced visit to meet with with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul al-Mahdi.
Confidential sources revealed to Avatoday that Pompeo warned that any possible threat from Iranian-backed Shiite militias to US interests in Iraq will be responded to decisively which will go beyond Iraqi borders.
Pompeo, the source said on the condition of anonymity, wanted the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which support Iraqi Shiite militias, to be disarmed.
The US Department of Treasury announced earlier this week that on the first anniversary of Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal further sanctions are due to be imposed on Tehran.
According to the source, Pompeo informed Abul al-Mahdi that US sanctions on Iran will affect Iraq and warned that the Islamic Republic will attempt to use Iraq to defy these sanctions.
Pompeo cancelled his visit to Germany just hours before his planned meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks in Berlin on Tuesday in order to meet with the Iraqi premier.
"Unfortunately, we must reschedule the Berlin meetings due to pressing issues," read a statement by the US State Department posted by the US Embassy in Germany.
The Iranian nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was an agreement signed in Vienna on July 14, 2015 under the Obama administration between Iran and the P5+1 which included five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, UK, Russia, France and China plus Germany - to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
Current US President Donald Trump announced the US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018 with international re-imposed sanctions going into effect in November.
Trump and his administration have a special focus on Iran’s oil business and are trying to reduce exports to zero.
