In Saudi Arabia, Pompeo says Iran ‘destabilizes’ region

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday that Iran is hurting the stability of the Gulf region.

“Iran destabilizes this entire region,” Pompeo said during remarks with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, The Associated Press reported.

The foreign minister, meanwhile, said that Saudi Arabia “supports the policy of the Trump administration against Iran and to improve the terms of the nuclear agreement with Iran,” according to the AP.

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Pompeo’s visit to the region comes as the U.S. tries to get support for new sanctions against Iran.

“We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran’s missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans,” said Brian Hook, a senior policy adviser traveling with Pompeo, according to Reuters.

President Trump has set May 12 as the deadline for deciding whether to step away from the Iran nuclear deal. Many observers expect Trump to pull out of the Obama-era deal, even though European nations have been lobbying him to stay.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington for a state visit during which he reportedly failed to convince Trump to stay in the nuclear deal.

Two days after Trump’s deadline, the U.S. is expected to open its new embassy in Israel, which is being relocated to Jerusalem.