Secretary of States Mike Pompeo has postponed the tour of five counties amid mass protests near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, spokesperson for the State Department Morgan Ortagus said.

Pompeo had to visit Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cyprus from January 3 to 7. According to official statement, Pompeo has to stay in Washington to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East.

The new date of the trip will be agreed in the near future.

Protests against the U.S. air strikes on Kataib Hezbollah continued for two days near the embassy in response to a missile attack that killed an American contractor.

Trump accused Iran of organizing unrest at the embassy and warned that Tehran will bear full responsibility. US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Tuesday authorized the immediate deployment of 750 U.S. troops in the Middle East in connection with the situation in Iraq.