Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III led the U.S. delegation to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue from November 19-21, 2021. On November 20, Secretary Austin delivered remarks underscoring the United States' commitment to security and stability in the Middle East, to U.S. partners in the region, and to expanding multilateral security cooperation to address shared threats. He attended a dinner hosted by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa where he thanked the King for hosting the Manama Dialogue and conveyed the breadth and importance of the U.S.-Bahrain relationship.
The Secretary also met with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Bahrain defense partnership and met with a wide range of other foreign government officials participating in the Manama Dialogue.
Separately, Secretary Austin visited the U.S. Fifth Fleet to meet with servicemembers forward-deployed to Bahrain and thanked them for their service, sacrifice and dedication. During this visit, he expressed gratitude for the work that U.S. forces are doing with regional partners to ensure maritime security and freedom of navigation.
