‘Not angry' with Pompeo, Bolton, Trump says amid reports of infighting over Iran
US President Donald Trump has defended Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton amid reports of infighting at the White House over Washington’s Iran policy.
“Mike Pompeo is doing a great job. Bolton is doing a great job,” Trump said at a realtor’s convention in Washington, Reuters reported Saturday.
He further asserted that reports of fissure between Bolton and Pompeo over the situation with Iran are a product of fake news media.
“They (the news media) put out messages that I’m angry with my people. I’m not angry with my people. I make my own decisions,” he said.
‘Don’t go too far!’
An unnamed senior administration official was also cited as saying that Washington is “seeking de-escalation.”
“We are all frustrated with this notion that we are escalating, that we are seeking conflict,” official reportedly said on condition of anonymity. “Nothing could be further from the truth. We are seeking de-escalation.”
This is while the US is being urged to show restraint amid escalation of tensions with the Islamic Republic.
US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that Pompeo spoke with China's senior diplomat Wang Yi, who advised him not to go “too far” in escalating the situation with Tehran.
Iran has dismissed the possibility of war despite the US military deployment to the Persian Gulf.
Former CIA Director David Petraeus, meanwhile, called on Iran to be “very careful” in dealing with Trump.
"Can they try some kind of proxy activities? Can they might make life difficult for us? They can but they're going to be have to be very careful not to overplay their hand and result in some kind of response that is quite punitive," he claimed.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of war between the United States and Iran, saying Washington knows engaging in such a conflict would not be in its interest.
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