US President Donald Trump said on Sunday Washington's relations with Bahrain were set to improve, after meeting with the king of the Gulf state during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
"Our countries have a wonderful relationship together, but there has been a little strain, but there won't be strain with this administration," Trump said during a photo session with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa in Riyadh."We're going to have a very, very long-term relationship. I look forward to it very much - many of the same things in common."
Trump's White House decided this year to pursue a $5bn sale to Bahrain of 19 Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft and related equipment.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told Reuters last month that Trump better understood the threat to the United States' Gulf allies from Tehran than his predecessor Barack Obama.