A convoy of U.S. forces armored vehicles drives near the village of Yalanli, on the western outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Manbij, on March 5, 2017. (AFP File Photo)

RIYADH, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday that the United States has no intention to leave the Middle East region.

In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya TV, Pompeo made it clear that the U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia are the foundation of the regional stability.

"We want an Arab coalition and force that is capable of facing various challenges in the region," he said.

"Saudi Arabia will always be an ally of the U.S.," Pompeo added.

The destruction of the Islamic State (IS) militant group is a priority that Washington would do along with its allies, the U.S. official noted.

On the issue of Syria, Pompeo said the U.S. withdrawal from Syria does not contradict its strategy against Iran, or mean any backtrack from its anti-terror stand.