A major focus of the tour will be sustaining a regional coalition to counter Iran, the main enemy of US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. Last year, Trump pulled out of an international accord negotiated under Obama on ending Iran’s nuclear programme and has instead reimposed biting sanctions. Pompeo has repeatedly called Iran “the world’s largest state sponsor of terror,” pointing to its targeting of domestic rivals in Europe and support of militant movements such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Pompeo, in an interview before his departure, said that Erdogan had “made a commitment” to Trump not to attack Washington’s Kurdish allies who have fought IS in Syria. “It is not possible to accept or swallow the message given by Bolton from Israel,” Erdogan told his party’s lawmakers in parliament.

Source: The Express Tribune January 08, 2019 12:22 UTC