Pompeo urges Iraq to uphold 'sovereignty' faced with Iran 'attacks'

Washington, Jan 28 (AFP) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdel Mahdi to uphold his country's "sovereignty" in the face of "attacks" from Iran on US facilities in Iraq.

Pompeo "expressed his outrage at the continued assaults by Iran's armed groups against US facilities in Iraq, including yesterday's rocket attacks against our Embassy, which resulted in one injury," the State Department said in a statement on Monday.

The statement said that "these attacks demonstrate a wanton disregard for Iraqi sovereignty and a failure to rein in these dangerous armed groups." 

Pompeo said on Twitter that "the government of #Iraq must take immediate steps to protect our diplomatic facilities as required by international law." 

Iraqi parliament had voted this month asking the US to withdraw its troops from the country following what the Iraqi government called violation of Iraqi sovereignty by the United States which led to the assassination of IRGC commander Qaseem Soleimani and Deputy leader of the iran backed Iraqi militia Shiite group.

Iran launched missile attacks against the US military bases in Iraq as a form of retaliation for the assassination of Iranian General, which US claimed there was no casualties. A week later, there have been evacuations of some military personnel for medical treatment in Germany and US.

AFP