Pentagon hails Bahrain-US ties as shared commitment

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper yesterday affirmed the friendship between the United States of America and Bahrain as “shared commitment to security and regional priorities in the Arabian Peninsula.” The Defence Secretary made a stopover in Bahrain this week on his return from South Asia, where he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a tweet yesterday, Esper thanked His Majesty the King for his hospitality. “Thank you to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for your hospitality in Manama yesterday,” the US Defence Secretary tweeted. “Our countries’ decades-long relationship and friendship is a shared commitment to security and regional priorities in the Arabian Peninsula,” he wrote.

During his visit here, the US defence chief met with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Manama as well as the commander of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, Vice Adm. Samuel Paparo. A Pentagon press release said Esper “got a feel for operations in the Arabian Gulf” and the threat Iran could pose to the area. “Iran has seemed to back off from provocations,” the press release said.

On Thursday, Esper arrived in Israel to meet with Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reported Al-Monitor. Al-Monitor quoting Breaking Defense said the recent talks between Esper and Gantz involved the planned transfer of more advanced F-35 avionics and satellite technology, including the early missile detector space-based infrared surveillance system. Al-Monitor could not independently verify the report. On Thursday, the Trump administration notified Congress of its proposal to sell the United Arab Emirates the highly advanced F-35, the report said.