US Secretary of State said that his surprise trip to Iraq was due to the country's increasing conflict with Iran.

Iran Press/Middle East: Mike Pompeo said that he made the trip to Iraq because Iranian forces are increasing their activities.

"The threat of attacks were very specific. These were attacks that were imminent," Pompeo claimed according to CNN report.

US Secretary of State declined to go into further detail on the alleged plot, which has been met with skepticism in numerous quarters, with leading Democratic lawmakers fearing that US President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to spark a war with Iran.

Pompeo met both Iraqi President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi in his visit to Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamad A. Alhakim was also present in the meetings.

"We talked to them about the importance of Iraq ensuring that it's able to adequately protect Americans in their country," Pompeo told reporters after the meetings with Iraqi officials.

It has been said that extending waivers for Iraq regarding Iran's sanctions and also preventing a rise in tensions between United States and Iran were among issues discussed at the meeting between Iraqi officials and US Secretary of State.

On Apr. 22, in an effort to increase economic pressure on Iran, the US announced that it is ending waivers for countries importing Iranian oil.

US will not reissue waivers for Iran oil imports: White House

Mohamad A. Alhakim in his twitter account also confirmed that he was present at the two important meetings between Pompeo with Iraqi President Barham Saleh and with Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi.

"Bilateral relations, the latest news about the security in the region and also fighting against terrorism were issues discussed at the meetings," Iraqi Foreign Minister added.

Pompeo abruptly cancelled talks in Germany and made a lengthy detour from a European tour to spend four hours in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Pentagon said it was sending several massive, nuclear-capable B-52s to the region.

On Sunday, Washington announced it was dispatching an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.

On Apr. 28, Zarif warned that the B Team, made up of US national security adviser John Bolton, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, UAE Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Zayed and Israeli regime prime minister Bibi Netanyahu, is pushing the United States towards a war with Iran. 101/211/201

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