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Trump says ties with Bahrain won't be strained anymore

Trump says ties with Bahrain

May 21, 2017 | 10:21 AM
US President Donald Trump and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa take part in a bilateral meeting in Riyadh on Sunday.
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.
May 21, 2017 | 10:21 AM