Pompeo meets UAE FM, discusses Iran, regional issues

Washington: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and discussed Iran’s “destabilizing behaviour” and other regional issues.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in Libya and the importance of the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Khaleej Times reported.

Pompeo and Sheikh Abdullah discussed the need to counter Iran’s “destabilizing” according to a statement released by the State Department.

“Met with #UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed today and discussed #Iran’s destabilizing activity & negative impact on the region. We also discussed #Libya, the Russian presence & the urgent need for de-escalation, a ceasefire & political solution,” Pompeo tweeted on Friday.

Following its unilateral exit from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year, Washington has been putting pressure on Tehran through a series of sanctions to force it to return to negotiations.

Earlier this year, the Islamic Republic had announced that it will be scaling back its commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).