Iraq must uphold its responsibility to keep U.S. personnel safe and prevent further attacks, Pompeo tells Iraqi Speaker

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that Iraq must uphold its responsibility to keep U.S. personnel safe and prevent further attacks in the country as the pro-Iran militias may furher attack the U.S. officers and interest in the Mideast.

 Pompeo who thanked  Iraqi Speaker al-Halbousi  for condemning U.S. Embassy attacks by Iran and its proxies said  building a sovereign and strong Iraq remains a shared priority of the United States

@SecPompeo Spoke with Iraqi Speaker al-Halbousi and thanked him for condemning
@USEmbBaghdad attacks by Iran and its proxies. We agreed Iraq must uphold its responsibility to keep U.S. personnel safe and prevent further attacks. Building a sovereign & strong Iraq remains a shared priority.

Earlier, the U.S. top diplomat called the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed Al Thani, and thanked him for Qatar’s solidarity in the face of Iran’s malign regional influence which has become a threat to U.S. and allies in the region

@SecPompeo Spoke today with the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister of #Qatar, Mohammed Al Thani, and thanked him for Qatar’s solidarity in the face of Iran’s malign regional influence, including the December 31 attack on the @USEmbBaghdad.

The U.S. face off with Iran started with the President Donald Trump unilateral withdrawal from the Iranian Nuclear Deal with world powers and Germany and re-impositions of the regime of sanctions against the Tehran.

The latest escalation in the region was as a result the U.S. air strikes against the Iran's backed militias in Iraq and Syria which Washington claimed was in retaliations of the rocket launched against the american military based which killed and American contractor.

Angered by the U.S air strike that killed 25 and wounded 55 others, Iraqi demonstrators attacked the the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday.