Secretary of State Mike Pompeo finds himself in a difficult position ahead of Friday’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the withdrawal of troops from northern Syria and little concrete action against Iran’s aggression in the region.
The abrupt end to an alliance with Kurdish forces in Syria has raised concerns among allies about America’s commitment to the region, specifically in the face of Iran’s regional ambitions.
“The nightmare for Israel is for Iran to be the biggest winner of the vacuum we created by withdrawing from Syria,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday, adding that he has spoken to Netanyahu by phone about Trump’s decision.
Netanyahu is “very concerned about not only ISIS coming back but Iran being the biggest winner of the vacuum we created,” Graham said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said the recent withdrawal has raised worries beyond Israel.
“There is danger and damage to every one of our allies in the area,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said. “There is no one in the area who is better off as a result of this invasion except for Iran and Russia and Syria.”
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<p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>NEW: Pompeo to meet Netanyahu as US alliances questioned https://t.co/Aqf6HMHjNp pic.twitter.com/ZK8FkYUtzF</p>— The Hill (@thehill) October 17, 2019
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