US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: US will work with Iraqi leaders to 'get to the right place' on US troop deployment in Iraq

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the US will work with Iraqi leaders to 'get to the right place' on US troop deployment in Iraq. However, this follows prior reports that the Trump administration had warned Iraq that it risks losing access to a critical government bank account if Baghdad kicks out American forces.

As it stands, the Us will argue that while the Iraqi military wants to become self-sufficient and capable of both defending its country and participating in coalition operations, without the US institutional infrastructure that glues the basic elements of defense together, such goals will be difficult to attain.

Market implications

These news reports are subsequent to the US airstrike that killed a top Iranian general, according to Iraqi officials and retaliation from Iran as a consequence. However, after days of anticipation, Tehran's zero-casualty retaliation came as a relief to markets and gold and the yen dropped in value, right back to where they had rallied from on the initial escalation in the conflict between the US and Iran. Oil prices are likly to remain elevatd on excalations of cnflict in the region.