BAGHDAD, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit to meet with Iraqi leaders to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation, an Iraqi official television reported on Wednesday.
Pompeo met with the Iraqi Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and is expected to meet with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and other top officials, the state-run Iraqiya channel said.
Pompeo's visit to Baghdad is part of his tour in some Middle East countries, in which he is scheduled to reassure allies about the United States' commitment to the region.
On Dec. 26, U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq accompanied by his wife Melania. They landed at the al-Assad air base in Iraq's western province of Anbar to celebrate Christmas event with U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Trump's visit ignited resentment among Iraqi political blocs despite an Iraqi prime minister's statement that Baghdad had been informed of the visit.
Recently, Trump declared a plan to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, citing full defeat of the Islamic State (IS) militants in the country.
The troops were part of a U.S.-led coalition which has been fighting and conducting airstrikes against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria.
