Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, takes part in a press statement with the Chancellor at the Federal Chancellery on November 8 in Berlin. Photo: IC

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Friday over Iran and regional issues, said the US State Department.

Pompeo and Sheikh Abdullah discussed the need to counter Iran's "destabilizing behavior," according to a statement released by the State Department.

The two sides also talked about the situation in Libya and the importance of the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the statement added.

Following its unilateral exit from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year, Washington has been piling up pressure on Tehran through a series of sanctions to force it to return to negotiations. Iran, however, has maintained a tough stance and vowed to retaliate the United States' anti-Iran moves.