The United States regards the Saudi-led Coalition’s ‎announcement that it will review their rules of engagement, hold those at fault accountable, and compensate victims following the Joint Incident Assessment Team’s finding that last month’s Sa’ada air strikes lacked justification as an important first step toward full transparency and accountability.‎ We continue to call on all sides to abide by the Law of Armed Conflict, to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, and thoroughly investigate and ensure accountability for any violations. It is imperative that all parties work toward a comprehensive political solution to avoid further harm to the Yemeni people. We fully support UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths as he prepares to convene parties in Geneva. All sides must engage constructively and in good faith in order to work toward a secure, stable, and peaceful Yemen.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke with Vice President Ayad Allawi of Iraq, to discuss political developments in Iraq and Baghdad-Erbil relations. He stressed that formation of a new government is a sovereign Iraqi process that should proceed according to Iraq’s constitutional timeline and reflect the will of Iraqi voters. Secretary Pompeo emphasized that the United States hopes to see a strong Iraqi government that includes all communities and serves all of the Iraqi people.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke with Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi to reaffirm U.S. support for Iraq’s efforts to form a moderate, nationalist, Iraqi government, pursuant to the constitutional timeline that is responsive to the aspirations of the Iraqi people. The Secretary emphasized the importance of safeguarding Iraq’s sovereignty during this critical time.

Finally, the Secretary underscored continuing U.S. support for a strong, sovereign, and prosperous Iraq as outlined in the bilateral U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The text of the following statement on Libya was released by the Governments of the United States of America, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Begin Text:

The Governments of France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States strongly condemn the continued escalation of violence in and around Tripoli that has caused many casualties and continues to endanger the lives of innocent civilians. We reiterate that the targeting of civilians and indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under International Humanitarian Law.

These attempts to weaken the legitimate Libyan authorities and hamper the course of the political process are not acceptable. We urge armed groups to immediately cease all military actions and warn those who tamper with security in Tripoli or elsewhere in Libya that they will be held accountable for any such actions.

We reaffirm our strong and continued support to the United Nations Action Plan, as recalled by the President of Security Council on June 6th and by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ghassan Salame on July 16th. We call on all actors to refrain from any action that would jeopardize the political framework established by the UN-led mediation to which the international community is fully committed.

End text.

# # #

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The Secretary’s newly appointed Special Representative for Syria Engagement, Ambassador James Jeffrey, will travel to Israel, Jordan, and Turkey, September 1–4. Ambassador Jeffrey will be accompanied by Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) and Special Envoy for Syria, Joel Rayburn.

Ambassador Jeffrey looks forward to meeting with key allies and partners on his first official trip abroad as Special Representative.

In Israel, Ambassador Jeffrey will meet with senior government officials to discuss our shared interest, in reference to Syria, in maintaining Israel’s security while countering Iran’s destabilizing activity throughout the region. They will also underscore that the United States will respond to any chemical weapons attack perpetrated by the Syrian regime.

In Jordan and Turkey, the Ambassador and DAS Rayburn will meet with Jordanian and Turkish leaders and other senior officials to reiterate the U.S. position that a military offensive in Idlib will escalate the crisis in Syria and the region, risk the lives of humanitarians and Syrian civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure. They will also commend Jordanian and Turkish leadership on their continued compassion for those affected by the Syrian conflict.

Throughout their trip, Ambassador Jeffrey and DAS Rayburn will also address Russia’s specious allegations of international plans to stage a chemical weapons attack in Syria.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.