Mike Pompeo: Five facts to know about Trump's new US Secretary of State

Like Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo is an outspoken critic of Iran

Following are the five facts about US Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo, who the President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced will replace Rex Tillerson as US secretary of state.

• Mike Pompeo, 54, regularly briefs Donald Trump on intelligence matters, and is considered one of the most hawkish voices on North Korea in Trump’s inner circle.

• Pompeo has downplayed the extent of Russia’s intervention in the 2016 US presidential election, saying Moscow has sought to influence American elections for decades. In February, he defended talks he had that month at CIA headquarters with Russian spy chiefs.