Pompeo meets Iraqi Parliament speaker in Baghdad

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi met in Baghdad on Wednesday, according to a statement from the speaker’s office. Pompeo is on a tour of Middle Eastern capitals. The US State Department did not immediately comment on reports of Pompeo’s visit to Iraq. Asked on Tuesday about a possible visit, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi declined to confirm it, Reuters said. However, he added that any meeting with Pompeo would involve a discussion of how to deepen Iraq’s relationship with the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). “He’s an ally, he represents a friendly country,” Abdul Mahdi said.