Washington, Nov 23 (IANS) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has met Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Friday over Iran and regional issues, said the US State Department.

Pompeo and Sheikh Abdullah discussed the need to counter Iran's "destabilizing behaviour", according to a statement released on Friday by the State Department, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two sides also talked about the situation in Libya and the importance of the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the statement added.

Following its unilateral exit from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year, Washington has been piling up pressure on Tehran through a series of sanctions to force it to return to negotiations.

Iran, however, has maintained a tough stance and vowed to retaliate the US' anti-Iran moves.

--IANS pgh/