Dana Bash: This is so telling about where the Republican party is NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Trump Tower stands on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on August 24, 2018 in New York City. Following new allegations over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, the Manhattan district attorneyÕs office in New York City may seek criminal charges against the Trump Organization in the coming days. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 08: US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) remarks on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the US Capitol November 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. Warner said he supports President George W. Bush's nomination of former CIA Director Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Warner said he anticipates Gates' confirmation before the end of the year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined by Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and Senate Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), speaks following a Senate Republican Policy luncheon at the Russell Senate Office Building on May 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addresses a press conference in Budapest on February 11, 2019. - Pompeo is on his one-day official visit to Hungary, at the first station of his four-day official visit to Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. (Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo abruptly canceled a scheduled trip to Germany, where he was planning to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel “due to pressing issues,” the State Department said early Tuesday. No specific reason was given for the cancellation. The press pool traveling with Pompeo has not been told where they are going next, and have been warned they may not be able to report from the country they are going to until after their departure. “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 traveling with Pompeo. 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 has been ordered to Strait of Hormuz in order to send a deterrent message to Iran, US officials said Sunday. The move is likely to heighten tensions as Tehran explicitly warned the US in April against any moves to block or interfere with the Strait. The 21-mile-wide waterway separates Iran from other Gulf countries and is a crucial conduit for the global economy, with 30% of the world’s crude oil passing through it. Pompeo said Sunday that the deployments have been in the works for “a little while” and that the US will “hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests.” There are few countries where press traveling with US officials are barred from reporting until after departure, with Iraq and Afghanistan being the most common. As the Trump administration has ratcheted up its maximum pressure campaign on Iran, US officials and analysts have long flagged the possibility that Tehran will strike back, likely through proxies, at US troops, personnel and allies in the Middle East. The secretary had been in the midst of an overseas trip and had been due to meet Tuesday with Merkel and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas about “issues of mutual concern,” including Russia, China and Syria, according to the State Department. Maas’ office said in a statement Tuesday that he had spoken to Pompeo by phone and that the two “agreed to quickly find a new date for a meeting.” The cancellation also comes amid news that President Donald Trump, who is urging caution among senior advisers about potential US military intervention in Venezuela, is growing frustrated that some aides are openly teasing military action in the country, where a battle for power has recently intensified. Last week, Pompeo told Fox News that “military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do.” On his trip, Pompeo was set to travel to London, Rovaniemi, Finland, and Nuuk, Greenland, in addition to the now-canceled stop in Berlin. CNN’s Daniel Allman and Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report.<doc-sep>US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a scheduled trip to Germany on Tuesday due to "pressing issues," according to CNN. Pompeo was supposed to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel during the visit.No specific reason was given for the cancellation and press traveling with Pompeo have not been told where they're going and have been told that they may not be allowed to report from the country they're head to until after they leave there.Channel 13 news reported that Pompeo is headed to Iraq. This has yet to be confirmed by the State Department. "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.German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas's office said in a statement on Tuesday that he had spoken with Pompeo over the phone and that they had "agreed to quickly find a new date for a meeting," according to CNN.<doc-sep>US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled a visit to Germany on Tuesday, just hours before he was due to arrive in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Unfortunately, we must reschedule the Berlin meetings due to pressing issues," a State Department official said in a statement posted by the US Embassy in Berlin. "We look forward to rescheduling this important set of meetings," the statement added. The United States' top diplomat was scheduled to meet with Merkel and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. Later on Tuesday night, reports emerged that Pompeo traveled to Iraq on an unannounced visit. Pompeo is due to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi in Baghdad, Iraqi government sources told news agencies AFP, Reuters and DPA. The abrupt change in itinerary comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran. On Sunday, the US announced it was sending an aircraft carrier and bombers to the Middle East to send a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran. Pompeo met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday in Finland Trip to UK still set to happen Pompeo kicked off his European tour by attending an Arctic Council meeting in Finland. He had a private meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday. The US Secretary is also scheduled to travel to the UK on Wednesday for talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The US Embassy in London said that the meeting "is still going ahead." Pompeo is also due to give a speech on the special relationship between the US and the UK. Pompeo's trip to Europe was originally scheduled to end in Greenland on Thursday. Russia's foreign ministry announced that Pompeo will be returning for a meeting with Lavrov in the Russian city of Sochi next week, according to news agency AFP. During that trip, he may also meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although the Kremlin didn't provide further details. Although the US and German governments did not immediately provide details on the reason for calling off the Tuesday meeting, the announcement comes amid strained ties between Washington and Berlin. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly complained that Germany is lagging behind in defense spending for NATO. The two countries are also at odds over the Nord Stream 2 project to build a gas pipeline between Germany and Russia. rs/se (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters) Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here.<doc-sep>What is the future of Europe? Get local insights from Lisbon to Moscow with an unrivalled network of journalists across Europe, expert analysis, our dedicated ‘Brussels Briefing’ newsletter. Customise your myFT page to track the countries of your choice.<doc-sep>
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Mike PompeoThe Memo: Media face hard questions on Trump, Wuhan lab Trump on Wuhan lab: Now everyone agrees 'I was right' With denuclearization stalled, Biden should focus on human rights reform in North Korea MORE abruptly canceled a visit to Berlin on Tuesday due to "pressing issues" and is expected to reschedule his meetings there, officials announced. "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 in a statement to The Hill. The U.S. Embassy in Berlin also shared news of the canceled trip in a tweet on Tuesday. .@statedeptspox on the @SecPompeo visit: "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." — US-Botschaft Berlin (@usbotschaft) May 7, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT Pompeo was scheduled to meet Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas as part of a series of European visits including a summit with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which occurred Monday. Merkel's office said in a statement that Pompeo's Berlin visit will not proceed “because of the visit’s cancellation by the U.S. side,” according to Bloomberg News. It directed inquiries on the matter to the U.S. Embassy. A scheduled visit to London is still expected to occur, a United Kingdom foreign office spokeswoman told Bloomberg. A State Department spokesperson told The Hill that there is no change in Pompeo's schedule in London for Wednesday. "We will update the public schedule soon," the spokesperson said. Pompeo is expected to meet with Lavrov again in Russia on May 14, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing the RIA news agency. Updated: 1:24 p.m.