Pompeo postpones visit to Ukraine citing 'ongoing situation in Iraq'

Lower than 24 hours before Secretary of RelateMike Pompeomodified into scheduled to leave for hisfirst talk over with toUkraineas secretary, the time out modified into cancelled, because of of the protests at theU.S. Embassy in Baghdad, per the Relate Division.

“Pompeo must keep off his talk over with to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus resulting from the necessity for the Secretary to be in Washington, D.C., to continue monitoring the continuing discipline inIraqand confirm that the security and security of American citizens within the Heart East,” Relate Division spokesperson Morgan Ortagus stated in a assertion on Wednesday.

The cancellation comes in some unspecified time in the future after Iran-backed militias and their supporters stormed the American embassy and then camped outside the compound overnight.

Protesters dispersed on Wednesday, nevertheless the U.S. embassy has suspended all public consulate operations except further look and advised U.S. citizens to withhold a long way from the placement.

For the length of Tuesday’s protests, marchers pushed their formula previous an outer wall licensed up to the embassy gates, nevertheless a Relate Division spokesperson stated that the embassy itself modified into never breached. U.S. Marines had been despatched to the embassy from Kuwait and troopers with the 82nd Airborne Division had been deployed to the Heart East “straight away,” Protection Secretary Ticket Esper stated in a assertion Tuesday night.

The assault on the compound grew out of inflame over U.S. airstrikes against an Iranian-backed militia Sunday.