Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Bahrain Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke on the phone today with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Bahrain defense relationship and to discuss regional issues.

Secretary Austin thanked the Crown Prince for Bahrain's role in promoting regional stability and reiterated the United States' steadfast commitment to security cooperation with Bahrain. The Secretary raised regional security issues, including Houthi threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and both leaders affirmed their shared commitment to support the free flow of commerce.