Pompeo: Iran must leave Syria

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed reports from Israel that Iranian troops were pulling out of Syria and closing military bases.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Pompeo said he had nothing to add to the Israeli reports, but emphasized, “We have been very clear to the Assad regime and the Russians all along: The Iranians need to leave, not only the southwest corner that has a direct and real impact on Israel and risk to the Golan but, more broadly, throughout the country.”

“The very terror regime that we talk about in the Islamic Republic of Iran has got a campaign that supports what Assad has done that has brutalized and destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands and has caused 6 or 7 million people to have to flee Syria – the Iranian regime is responsible for that in the same way the Syrian regime is.

“We hope they’ll rethink that and get back to doing what Iran needs to do, which is take care of its own people in this very difficult time inside the Islamic Republic of Iran. We think those resources could be much better used to support the Iranian people.”

Pompeo also refused to confirm the report that he was set to visit Israel next week, but noted, “I don’t have any travel to confirm, but I think in the upcoming hours and days you’ll see an announcement.”