US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has slammed the UK, Germany and France for not being ‘helpful enough’ following the killing of Iran’s army general, Qassem Soleimani by an American airstrike.
Pompeo expressed his disappointment with the major NATO allies, saying they had not been “as helpful as I wish that they could be.”
He, however, identified Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as countries that had been “fantastic” since the early hours of Friday when Soleimani was assassinated.
“I spent the last day and a half, two days, talking to partners in the region, sharing with them what we were doing, why we were doing it, seeking their assistance,” Pompeo told Fox News.
“They’ve all been fantastic. And then talking to our partners in other places that haven’t been quite as good.
“Frankly, the Europeans haven’t been as helpful as I wish that they could be. The Brits, the French, the Germans all need to understand that what we did, what the Americans did, saved lives in Europe as well.
“Qassem Soleimani led and his IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard) led assassination campaigns in Europe.
“This was a good thing for the entire world, and we are urging everyone in the world to get behind what the United States is trying to do to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to simply behave like a normal nation.”
European allies have been cautious in their reaction to the US attack at Baghdad airport.