Pompeo to Visit Kuwait, Lebanon, and Israel

The U.S. Secretary of State is traveling to three countries in West Asia this week. Mike Pompeo previously told Fox News that "the common issue in each of these countries is helping them to increase efforts to push back the Islamic Republic of Iran." The U.S. government has withdrawn from the nuclear agreement with Tehran since Donald Trump took office as President. Washington officials say they are seeking to apply "maximum pressure" on Tehran to "change the behavior" of the Islamic Republic. Mike Pompeo has stated that "the most severe sanctions in history" await Iran. In this context, the U.S. Secretary of State has repeatedly met and discussed with officials from America's allied countries in West Asia. Pompeo's last chain visit to the Middle East occurred in January, where he visited Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and several other places, and a month later, he co-hosted a conference on the Middle East with the Polish Foreign Minister in Warsaw, attended by several foreign ministers and international officials. Pompeo's new trip to Israel, Lebanon, and Kuwait comes as the first country is soon to hold parliamentary elections, and the timing of the U.S. Secretary of State's visit has attracted media attention. Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the staunchest critics of the Iran nuclear deal, who has directly engaged in battles with Iranian forces and their allies in Syria, faces stiff competition from a coalition of his opponents. According to a senior U.S. State Department official quoted by AFP, Mr. Pompeo will emphasize both privately and publicly that our commitment to Israel's security and its right to defend itself is unwavering. The same news agency reports that Iran is expected to be the focus of the U.S. Secretary of State's discussions in Jerusalem, while Hezbollah in Lebanon is expected to be the main topic of discussions in Beirut. Hezbollah is part of a coalition that has formed the government, and its Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, is an ally of the United States. The U.S. designates Hezbollah as a "terrorist" group. The newspaper Haaretz, citing a senior U.S. State Department official, reported that Pompeo's visit to Israel relates to regional issues, certainly the challenge posed by Iran and its proxy groups to the region, Israel, and the U.S. The United States has repeatedly urged Iran to cease its "interference" in regional countries, completely withdraw its forces from Syria, stop supporting Houthi militants in Yemen, or refrain from interfering in Iraq and its issues. The U.S. has repeatedly warned the Islamic Republic regarding threats to Israel. Mike Pompeo stated in late February that "confronting Iran is key to achieving peace throughout the region." The Islamic Republic has denied allegations of interference in regional countries' affairs. Tehran claims it sent forces to Syria at the request of the Syrian central government. The Iranian Foreign Minister states that the U.S. has "no right to interfere in Iran-Iraq relations." The Islamic Republic has denied accusations of providing military and weaponry support to the Houthis. However, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and his close associates have repeatedly emphasized the "destruction" of Israel. The last time Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met was during the Warsaw conference in February. Both will participate in the "AIPAC" conference, the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee, in Washington in a few days. Pompeo's new trip starts from Kuwait on Tuesday, March 19.