US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his condemnation of Tuesday’s attack on the US Embassy in Iraq, as well as the latter’s “unwavering commitment” to counter Iran’s “malign” influence in the region.
In a late Wednesday call “the Secretary and Prime Minister reaffirmed the unbreakable bonds between the United States and Israel”, a statement by US Department of State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus read.
The call was confirmed by Pompeo on his Twitter account.
The secretary of state also earlier asserted that he spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi about providing protection for US personnel in Baghdad from “Iran-backed attackers”.
Pompeo’s comments come after a statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemning the “attack” on the US Embassy and accusing the Islamic Republic of coordinating the assault, while calling upon the international community to stand against “the crimes of the murderous regime in Tehran”.
“Iran made a grave mistake by attempting to harm American diplomats in Iraq”, Katz said on his Twitter account.
On 31 December, the US Embassy in Baghdad was encircled by a number of Iraqi protesters, outraged by US strikes that killed 25 Hashd Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units PMU) fighters in Western Iraq. At least 50 others were injured by the strikes.
Source: Agencies
