WATCH: Hegseth meets with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the Pentagon on Thursday.

Watch the meeting in the video player above.

Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa also serves as his country’s prime minister, and deputy supreme commander of the armed forces.

Hegseth hosted an honor cordon for bin Hamad Al Khalifa before they went into the Pentagon for a bilateral meeting.

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“We know we can always count on Bahrain, as evidenced by recent events, but also, you know, the courage you’ve shown for a long time, the original signer to the Abraham Accords, host to the Combined Maritime Forces,” said Hegseth.

Hegseth’s meeting comes a day after President Donald Trump hosted Bahrain’s crown prince and Qatar’s prime minister at the White House.

The meetings focused on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with the Persian Gulf region.

Bahrain highlighted $17 billion in U.S. investments, including deals in aviation and technology.

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