(Bloomberg) –U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed, and Iraqi President Barham Salih to discuss developments in the Middle East following the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
The United Arab Emirates is “concerned over the Iranian regime’s continued military provocations,” Pompeo said on Twitter. He also reiterated a message of de-escalation.
Spoke with #UAE’s @MohamedBinZayed about @realDonaldTrump‘s decision to take decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad. UAE is also concerned over the Iranian regime’s continued military provocations. The U.S. remains committed to de-escalation.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 4, 2020
The risk to shipping in one of the world’s key oil-producing regions is set to rise following a U.S. airstrike in Iraq that killed a top Iranian commander, just months after spiking to record levels on heightened geopolitical risk.
Iran vowed “severe retaliation” for the attack that killed General Qassem Soleimani, who led the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force. The episode ratchets up already-high tensions in a region that exports much of the world’s oil. Brent crude prices jumped as much as 4.9% in intraday trading.
