In a statement on Friday (December 13), Pompeo accused Iran's "proxies" of conducting "several attacks against bases where Iraqi Security Forces are co-located with US and International Coalition personnel" involved in the fight against ISIS.
The statement cited a December 9 attack against an Iraqi facility located on the Baghdad International Airport compound, which it said wounded five Iraqi soldiers, including two critically.
Pompeo warned Iran's leaders that "any attacks by them, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies, or our interests will be answered with a decisive US response."
It was followed by another rocket attack on the airport on December 11, it added, without providing further details.
"Iran must respect the sovereignty of its neighbors and immediately cease its provision of lethal aid and support to third parties in Iraq and throughout the region," he said.
Iranian regime has gained growing influence in neighboring Iraq, with which it shares a Shi'ite majority, following the 2003 US-led invasion that brought down Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
In a study released by the Pentagon last month, the US Defense Intelligence Agency accused Iran of using a network of "militant partners and proxies," including Shi'ite militias in Iraq, to enable it to advance its interests in the Middle East.
The study noted that Iran remained "implacably opposed to the United States and its presence in the Middle East."
Based on RFE
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