The White House has dismissed reports that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is about to be replaced. The US top diplomat "continues to lead the state department", White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Thursday, BBC reported. Also, a state department spokeswoman said the reports "were not true". The denials come amid reports from several news organisations, citing unnamed administration officials, that plans are being drawn up to replace him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson poses with Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel(not shown) ahead of a bilateral at the State Department in Washington, DC on November 30, 2017. Pic/ AFP