Pentagon chief visits Israel, Bahrain with little fanfare
The quiet visit came less than a week after the defense secretary said the United States would like to see regional security cooperation with Israel to deter Iran.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper quietly met with the leaders of Israel and Bahrain this week amid a Trump administration push for the Abraham Accords to prop up regional cooperation to counter Iran.
The stopovers came amid Esper’s return from South Asia, where he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Pentagon did not announce Esper’s visits to the Middle East until he had already departed.
The US defense chief met with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Manama as well as the commander of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, Vice Adm. Samuel Paparo.
