Pompeo visits Saudi Arabia before ending Gulf tour

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Saudi Arabia in what is likely his final official tour of the Persian Gulf.

During the trip, he has touted the Trump administration's Mideast strategy that focused on Iran as "the central threat inside the region" and for a maximum pressure campaign that hampered Iran's ability to support militias in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

Pompeo is scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before heading back to Washington.

His tour also included stops in France, Turkey and Israel, including an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank and a museum that honors Christian Zionists.

The Trump administration is attempting to ramp up pressure on Iran before Biden takes office as president.

Biden has said he wants to return to rapprochement with Iran.

President Donald Trump is viewed favorably by Gulf heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for pulling the U.S out of a nuclear accord with Iran and reimposing sweeping sanctions that have drained Iran of vital oil revenue.