US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The Jan. 8-15 trip will take Pompeo to Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. A stop in Iraq also is possible.

The trip comes amid new confusion over Trump’s foreign policy, after Trump first ordered a swift US troop withdrawal from Syria before saying the process would happen in a slow and careful fashion. Mr. Pompeo will also call for GCC unity during the visit.