UPDATE 1-Pompeo meets Iraq PM in Baghdad -Iraq government source

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in Baghdad late on Tuesday, an Iraqi government source said.

The visit to Iraq came after Pompeo canceled a planned visit to Berlin, citing "international security issues." The United States has said in recent days that it was sending a carrier strike force to the Middle East to counter a "credible threat by Iranian regime forces," and that it had seen activity from Iran that indicated what it called an escalation.

The Iraqi government source did not elaborate on the details of the meeting with Abdul Mahdi. Washington has ramped up sanctions pressure on Iraq's neighbor Iran in recent months including against Iranian-backed Iraqi militant groups. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed Writing by John Davison Editing by Jonathan Oatis)