LONDON: King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain on Monday commended the longstanding strategic relationship between his country and the US.
Speaking during a reception in Manama for Adm. Charles Bradford Cooper II, commander of the US Central Command, the king, who is supreme commander of Bahrain’s armed forces, highlighted in particular the ongoing development of defense and military cooperation, the Bahrain News Agency reported.
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, crown prince and deputy supreme commander of the armed forces, and Lt. Gen. Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, who is national security advisor, commander of the Royal Guard, and secretary-general of the Supreme Defense Council, were also at the reception.
It took place amid the ongoing conflict that began with the attacks by US and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28 and has escalated across the region. A fragile two-week ceasefire agreement remains in place but peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad over the weekend ended in deadlock, as negotiators failed to reach any agreement over Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for international shipping that remains largely blocked by Iran.
Also on Monday, air-defense authorities in Bahrain said they had intercepted and destroyed 194 ballistic missiles and 523 drones, launched from Iran and some from Iraq, since the current conflict began.
The country, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, is one of 10 countries in the region that has been targeted by Iran with missile and drone attacks since the hostilities began.
