Pompeo's questioning by senators comes amid spiraling tensions with Russia and China and uncertainty over the Trump administration's international agenda.
Turkey announced that it had launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 to clear Syria's Afrin region of the YPG/PKK and Daesh, which Turkey considers a threat to its national security.
Trump called for the freeze after reading a news report that the US had recently committed an additional $200 million to stabilize areas recaptured from Daesh, according to Wall Street Journal.
Rex Tillerson will retain the title of secretary of State until March 31, just over a year since he began the job. US President Donald Trump fired him following a series of rifts over foreign policy matters.
President Trump also slammed US spending in the Middle East, calling it futile, and argued that it detracts from domestic spending.
A team of three officials will be led by Ri Son Gwon, the chairman of North Korea's committee for the peaceful reunification of the country, the North told its neighbour early on Saturday, the South's Unification Ministry said.
The talks come at a time of heavy diplomatic traffic regarding the Syrian war, including talks between the Astana trio, as well as Turkey and the US, regarding security and governance in northern Syria.
The firing of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was inevitable but Trump's leadership style of running the administration as his personal fiefdom likely means that the US State Department is just getting a change of face, not a change of culture.
"Without a wall there would be bedlam, I imagine," says US President Donald Trump as he inspects several prototype barriers of a controversial wall he wants to build on the border with Mexico.
Secretary of State Tillerson's imminent departure follows months of reports of friction with US President Donald Trump. Tillerson will be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo.
"Have they started blaming Russia yet for the Washington staff changes?" Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova tells reporters, while Germany's deputy foreign minister expresses concern at the departure of Rex Tillerson.
The US president says he is replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, and has tapped Gina Haspel to head the intelligence agency, the first woman to head the US spy service.
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