Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. Secretary Pompeo and the Crown Prince discussed the Kata’ib Hizbollah strikes on Coalition Forces in Kirkuk that killed an American contractor and wounded U.S. and Iraqi troops this past Friday, as well as the United States’ defensive strikes in Iraq and Syria.
The Secretary and the Crown Prince agreed that the Iranian regime and its proxies continue to be a destabilizing force in the region and that nations have a right to defend themselves in the face of these threats. The Secretary underscored that attacks by the Iranian regime, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies, or our interests will be answered with a decisive response, as demonstrated yesterday. The Secretary thanked the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia’s support and engagement across many regional challenges, and the two agreed to continue to work together to continue countering Iran’s malign behavior.