Pompeo urges fresh thinking on Mideast, warns Iran

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says greater cooperation and "fresh thinking to solve old problems" are needed in the Middle East - but he also warns that Iran and its proxies are continuing "to foment terror and unrest" in the region.

In a speech to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday about the complex challenges facing the Middle East, Pompeo said that Iran's actions in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen are also having "devastating humanitarian consequences."

But he said: "Clearly, from Aleppo to Aden, from Tripoli to Tehran, greater cooperation in the Middle East is needed more than ever."

He said it's now time to tackle challenges facing the region from conflict raging in Libya, continuing violence in Syria, and a growing rift among Gulf countries.