Pompeo cancels visit to Germany over ‘pressing issues’

Washington, May 7 (IANS) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday abruptly cancelled a scheduled trip to Germany "due to pressing issues," his department said on Tuesday.

No specific reason was given for the cancellation.

The press pool travelling with Pompeo were not told where they were going next and were warned that they may not be able to report from the country they were going to until after their departure, CNN reported.

"Unfortunately, we must reschedule the Berlin meetings due to pressing issues. We look forward to rescheduling this important set of meetings. The Secretary looks forward to being in Berlin soon," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said, according to the press pool travelling with Pompeo.

The top US diplomat was scheduled to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas, whose office announced the suspension of the talks shortly before the announcement of the cancellation.

Neither the Federal Chancellery nor the Ministry gave a specific reason for the cancellation.

The sudden schedule change comes two days after the Pentagon deployed a carrier and a bomber task force to the Middle East, in response to "specific and credible" intelligence that suggested Iranian forces and proxies were planning to target US forces in Syria, Iraq and at sea.

The carrier group had been ordered to the Strait of Hormuz in order to send a deterrent message to Iran, US officials said on Sunday.

The move is likely to heighten tensions as Tehran warned the US in April against any moves to block or interfere with the Strait.