Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the European allies of the United States have been less understanding than he had hoped about the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
“I spent the last day and a half, two days, talking to partners in the region, sharing with them what we were doing, why we were doing it, seeking their assistance, they’ve all been fantastic. And then talking to our partners in other places that haven’t been quite as good. Frankly, the Europeans haven’t been as helpful as I wish that they could be,” Pompeo told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Friday.
“The Brits, the French, the Germans all need to understand that what we did — what the Americans did — saved lives in Europe as well,” he continued. “This was a good thing for the entire world, and we are urging everyone in the world to get behind what the United States is trying to do: To get the Islamic Republic of Iran to simply behave like a normal nation.”
The State Department sent out several descriptions of Pompeo’s calls with foreign officials on Friday, in which Pompeo told each of them the “United States remains committed to de-escalation.”
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Trump administration’s decision to kill the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force would not make it easier to reduce tensions.
European diplomats told the Washington Post they did not know of any advance warning the U.S. had given their European allies ahead of the drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad.
