On Capitol Hill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted unexpectedly Monday to recommend that Mike Pompeo be confirmed as secretary of state. The surprise outcome came as Kentucky Republican and committee member Rand Paul unexpectedly voted in favor of Pompeo, after repeatedly criticizing him over his support for torture and for the invasion of Iraq. Pompeo’s nomination had been widely expected to advance to the full Senate without a favorable recommendation from the Foreign Relations Committee. But his bid was aided after at least three Democrats—Senators Joe Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly—said they’ll vote to confirm Pompeo. Pompeo also has a long history of ties to Islamophobic organizations, and the National Iranian American Council has warned that Pompeo’s confirmation would threaten the Iran nuclear deal and increase the risk of a U.S. attack on Iran