‘Stable Mideast underpins stable world’

A stable Middle East underpins a stable world and is critical to the international economy, leading the US to have a high interest in the stability of the region, the US Defence Secretary said yesterday.

Stability of the Middle East is of high priority to the US particularly because of the economic contributions the region provides to the rest of the world, said US James Mattis as he gave his remarks during the second day of the IISS Manama Dialogue yesterday. He reiterated American intentions to ensure security in the region and to contain threats from extremism and especially from Iran who he described as an ‘outlaw regime’.

“Hosting the Manama dialogue is I think a prime example of Bahrain’s leadership making clear that the size of a nation’s territory does not determine the impact of its commitment to regional security.”