Pompeo meets with Qatari defense minister on ties, regional issues

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday met with visiting Qatari Minister of State for Defense and Security Affairs Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah on bilateral and regional issues.

Pompeo and Al Attiyah discussed "the importance of a united Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in standing against" Iran, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

They also touched upon other bilateral and regional issues, including Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, according to the statement.

The statement also noted that Pompeo thanked Al Attiyah "for Qatar's continued close partnership and cooperation on a range of issues," without further elaboration.

Around 10,000 U.S. troops and scores of U.S. combat and supporting aircraft are stationed in Qatari Al-Udeid Air Base, which is considered to be the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.

The Gulf crisis that unfolded in June 2017 continues after three GCC members, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and Egypt severed diplomatic relations with Qatar.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)