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Within hours of being confirmed as the new U.S. secretary of state, former CIA Director Mike Pompeo began a trip to meet with NATO in Brussels, followed by visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan.
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State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said those stops were picked "because of all that is going on." Pompeo plans to meet with Saudi King Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Jordanian King Abdullah.
The Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo by a vote of 57-42 on Thursday, gaining the unanimous support of Republicans in addition to six Democrats and one independent. The vote was among the most divisive ever for a secretary of state appointee.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a congratulatory statement to Pompeo that as secretary of state "he will always put the interests of America first."
Unlike Rex Tillerson, who disagreed with Trump on several issues – including the Iran Nuclear Deal – Pompeo is expected to be even more hawkish in his policies and generally fall in line with Trump's positions. He has long been a critic of the deal, and suggested that the "only answer" is "2,000 bombing sorties."
Iran is likely to be a topic on Pompeo's trip, as the Trump administration is currently deciding whether or not to restore sanctions on Tehran, effectively violating and ending the nuclear deal which promised to end sanctions in exchange for halting the nuclear program. European Union members, as well as China and Russia, have urged Trump to stay in the deal.
Named as Trump's then-unconfirmed appointee, Pompeo took a barely publicized trip to Pyongyang, North Korea during Easter weekend, where he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, likely as preparation for the planned summit to be held between Kim and Trump. The Department of State released photos of Pompeo with Kim on Thursday.
Pompeo is replacing Rex Tillerson, who was abruptly dismissed last month.
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