Pompeo says no more US reconstruction aid to Syria if Iran stays

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stands alongside as US President Donald Trump as he holds a briefing on Hurricane Michael in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, October 10, 2018. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States will refuse any additional reconstruction assistance to war-torn Syria so long as Iranian troops are present in the country, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.

“If Syria doesn’t ensure the total withdrawal of Iranian-backed troops, it will not receive one single dollar from the United States for reconstruction,” Pompeo told a pro-Israel group.

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