U.S. State Department Denies Reports of Tillerson's Dismissal

Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, denied reports on Thursday, November 1, regarding the dismissal of Rex Tillerson from his position. According to Fox News, Nauert stated at a press conference that John Kelly, the White House Chief of Staff, contacted the State Department and refuted the media reports about Tillerson's dismissal. U.S. media reported on Thursday that the White House is planning to remove Tillerson in the coming months and appoint Mike Pompeo, the CIA director, in his place. Nauert said, 'What I can tell you is that John Kelly called our department this morning and said the rumors are not true, the reports are not accurate.' According to the State Department spokesperson, John Kelly spoke on the phone with Tillerson's chief of staff. In this context, The New York Times reported on Thursday that with Tillerson's dismissal, Mike Pompeo would become the Secretary of State, and the CIA leadership would likely go to Tom Cotton, a Republican senator from Arkansas. Meanwhile, Nauert, while denying these reports, stated that Tillerson continues with his regular schedule. The State Department spokesperson said, 'Tillerson has a big agenda in mind. Certainly, this agenda has not changed. As long as he serves in the Trump administration, he will continue with his work.' In this regard, Sarah Sanders, White House spokesperson, issued a statement saying, 'Mr. Tillerson continues to manage the State Department, and everyone in the Cabinet is focused on completing the first year of the Trump administration, which has been marked by incredible successes.' Previously, U.S. officials and those close to the White House had indicated the possibility of significant changes in Donald Trump's national security team, but the timing of such changes remains uncertain. Media had previously reported on disagreements between Rex Tillerson and Donald Trump regarding issues such as the U.S. approach to North Korea and Iran. Earlier this month, the U.S. President expressed doubt about whether Tillerson would remain in his position until the end of his four-year term. In this context, reports of 'the possibility of dismissal' of the Secretary of State; lack of confirmation from the White House; the Secretary of State: 'I have never thought of resigning'; Trump's doubts about Tillerson's continuation as Secretary of State; changes in the 'proxy' battleground; war against the people in the streets of Iran; the first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalization of Iranian society; the death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis; a significant and horrific massacre occurred during the protests in Iran; the death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis; accounts from three witnesses about the situation in Isfahan province; 'like war-torn areas'; Trump emphasizes 'stopping executions in Iran': we do not know what will happen in the future; Trump says if the Islamic Republic attempts to assassinate him, 'it will be wiped off the face of the earth.'