Some 65 countries to attend summit in fall 2019; Hook to increase diplomatic efforts in the region to expand alliance; Pompeo: the Iranian regime is struggling to figure out what they’re going to do with their economy because we have been terribly effective.
Bahrain will host a maritime security summit this fall to address Iran and the conflict in the Persian Gulf. Both Brian Hook, President Trump’s special envoy on Iran and Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa announced the summit on Wednesday.
Participants of the Warsaw Conference and more, approximately 65 states, are expected to attend the summit later in 2019. Hook is expected to increase diplomatic talks and negotiations with regional states to expand its alliance in combatting Iran.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the United States’ alliance in the Middle East, all working to combat Iran and its proxies, during a recent cabinet meeting. Pompeo spoke about its success in fighting the Islamic State and unity in the common threat of Iran. He stated that in the past two and half years, “we built out a coalition of Gulf States [with] the Israelis… And we’ve taken down the caliphate nearly in its entirety.” Referring to US sanctions and the continued “work with this coalition that all understand that the largest threat to Middle East security is… the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he reported, “the Iranian regime is struggling to figure out what they’re going to do with their economy because we have been terribly effective.”
The development comes as the United States is deploying 500 troops of its previously announced 1,000 to Saudi Arabia. The troops will be stationed at the Prince Sultan Airbase south of Riyadh and will work with the Patriot missile defense systems and F-22 jets on the base.
