Pompeo says U.S. mission is to avoid war with Iran but measures in place to deter

Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Pompeo added that he was confident that U.S. President Donald Trump would take action if such deterrence measures fail

Humeyra Pamuk, Reuters News

September 22, 2019

The United States aims to avoid war with Iran and the additional troops ordered to be deployed in the Gulf region are for "deterrence and defense,", U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.

Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Pompeo added that he was confident that U.S. President Donald Trump would take action if such deterrence measures fail and this was well understood by the Iranian leadership.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) ((humeyra.pamuk@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 3105694; Reuters Messaging: Twitter: @humeyra_pamuk))