Pompeo heads to Saudi, UAE on Iran tensions

Washington - Pompeo will discuss the recent attack on Saudi's oil facilities and coordinate efforts to counter Iranian aggression in the region.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, to discuss the recent attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities and coordinate on efforts toward countering Iranian aggression in the region, the State Department said in a statement.
"The Secretary will begin his trip in Jeddah, arriving September 18. He will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the recent attack on the Kingdom's oil facilities and coordinate efforts to counter Iranian aggression in the region," the statement read.
"The Secretary will then travel to Abu Dhabi to meet with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forcesto discuss regional and bilateral issues," the statement added.?
Pompeo's trip was earlier announced by Vice President Mike Pence who, reiterating the tone set by President Donald Trump, said it was "certainly looking like Iran was behind these attacks."
"As the president said, we don't want war with anybody but the United States is prepared," Pence said in a speech to the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington.
"We're locked and loaded and we're ready to defend our interests and allies in the region, make no mistake about it," he said, echoing President Donald Trump's words on Monday.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Trump administration has concluded that last weekend's attack involved cruise missiles from Iran and that evidence would be presented at the UN General Assembly next week.
The apparent hardening of the US position came as Iran's supreme leader ruled out negotiations with Washington "at any level."
 

• UAE
• Saudi Arabia