US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is to attend the 4th annual Manama Dialogue in Bahrain in a bid to turn Persian Gulf states against Iran.
In a speech to a security conference on Saturday, the Pentagon chief will restate the US intention to maintain a long-term military presence in the Gulf, according to defense officials traveling with Gates.
Gates, ending a weeklong trip to the region, is intended to urge Persian Gulf allies to cooperate more as part of a broader strategy for containing Iranian influence, according to officials traveling with him on Friday.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is to attend the 4th annual Manama Dialogue in Bahrain in a bid to turn Persian Gulf states against Iran.
In a speech to a security conference on Saturday, the Pentagon chief will restate the US intention to maintain a long-term military presence in the Gulf, according to defense officials traveling with Gates.
Gates, ending a weeklong trip to the region, is intended to urge Persian Gulf allies to cooperate more as part of a broader strategy for containing Iranian influence, according to officials traveling with him on Friday.
The Pentagon claims it calls for cooperation to promote security in the Persian Gulf.
The three-day summit is sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The summit brings together about 200 defense ministers and senior officials from 23 countries to discuss major security issues in the region.
While the new US Intelligence Estimate has confirmed Iran is not after nuclear weapons, the White House maintains a negative tone about Iran.
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