Joint defence action key to protect region from growing Iranian nuclear threats

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

It is important to intensify joint action to protect the security of the region and enhance collective capabilities in the face of any potential danger.

This was the consensus among participants in the Manama Dialogue 2021 which came to a close yesterday.

In particular, they slammed Iran’s nuclear programme and the threat it poses to the region and the world.

They also shed light on the danger of the activities of Iran and its allies, proxies and militias in undermining regional security and stability.

Brett McGurk, US National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, stressed that his country is working with its partners to deter Iran and reduce tension in the region.

“The Iranian regime is our enemy, and we understand the suffering of the Iranian people,” he said.

“We leave room for diplomacy in dealing with Iran, but we are ready to take any other options.”

McGurk reiterated the US commitment to its partners in the region, pointing out that their troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan does not mean, as some belief, a withdrawal from the region.

“The US presence in the region has been going on for nearly two decades, and Washington considers the region’s security among its priorities and part of its security,” he noted.

He cited that the three successive US administrations during the past two decades had played a major role in protecting the region, whether through direct or indirect support, through training and empowerment, which reflects the American commitment to the region