Abu Dhabi: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates
flew to Abu Dhabi on Thursday seeking support from oil-rich Gulf
allies for tough sanctions on Tehran, drawing an angry
response from Iran's hardline president.
Gates was due to hold talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, who is also the deputy
commander in chief of the armed forces in the United Arab
Emirates, as part of high-stakes diplomacy designed to
tighten pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.
The defence secretary's visit came a day after Gates
appealed to Saudi leaders to back the US-led drive for
punitive measures in discussions in Riyadh, the latest in a
series of high level visits to the region by President
Barack Obama's deputies.
The American focus on the Gulf prompted a warning on
Thursday from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who
accused "corrupt" powers of destabilising the Gulf.
"What are you doing in our region?" Ahmadinejad said in a
speech in the Gulf port of Bandar Abbas.
"Why have you sent your armies to our area? If you think
you can control the oil of Iraq and the Persian Gulf, you are
mistaken," he said.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 11, 2010, 23:43