Pompeo hails Bahrain’s role in advancing peace, prosperity around world

Manama, Dec. 4 (BNA): US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has hailed Bahrain’s powerful role in advancing peace and prosperity around the world and its success in hosting the Manama Dialogue with its far-reach. Bahrain plays a key role in regional security architecture and the annual event aims to encourage debate about the Middle East’s most pressing security challenges and brings together policy makers and leading officers from all over the world. In his virtual opening address at the 16th edition of the IISS Manama Dialogue 2020 which started on Friday, Pompeo said the US would not allow the Iranian regime to support terrorist activities across the region. He also applauded Bahrain and the UAE for signing the agreements to support peace with Israel. Touching upon the US foreign policy landmark outcomes in the region he said that the US signature successes in the Middle East demonstrate what happens “when we get things right.” He said that a landmark development was Bahrain attending for the first-time trilateral meeting between Bahrain, the US, and Israel. Secretary Pompeo said that the agreement between the P5+1+EU and Iran on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal with Western nations was not well thought of and said that it had encouraged Iran to continue with its nefarious designs across the region. The US Secretary of State warned that the 20% enrichment of the uranium by Iran should not be allowed at any cost. Maximum pressure campaign should remain in place not to allow Iran to attain the nuclear capability, he said. Granting Iran access to Western weapons and financing cannot be the right way forward, he emphasized. The US Secretary of State renewed US commitment to Iraq security saying that in return Iraqi government should ensure the safety of the embassies in the green zone of Baghdad. We do not want [Daesh] to return to Iraq or Iran's domination of it, either, he said.