U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a bipartisan congressional delegation with Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
In Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the senators met with national security leaders, including the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the King of Saudi Arabia,  King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. In both countries, Senator Cardin discussed the importance of U.S. security relationships with the Arab Gulf, including joint efforts to counter ISIL and deter Iran from destabilizing the region, particularly after its recent ballistic missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolutions.
“In the Gulf region, strong bilateral relationships enhance our ability to confront the shared threat of extremism and to fully monitor Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA, so that Iran never becomes a nuclear weapons state,” said Senator Cardin. “We share a narrative, which is that we seek peace and opportunity to improve the lives of our citizens and to keep the region free from Iranian meddling.”
 “Our discussions with heads of state and national security leaders in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel highlighted the importance of international cooperation to defeat ISIL and addressing the growing instability in the Middle East, which in part can be attributed to an increasingly belligerent Iran,” said Senator Gardner.
 “As we discussed with leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority, we remain committed to strengthening our security cooperation with our Gulf partners,” said Senator Markey. “In light of Iran’s condemnable missile tests and its ongoing sponsorship of terrorism, as well as the murderous ideology represented by ISIS‎, we must work with our regional partners and the entire international community to bolster regional security. Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon and we must implement the Iran agreement fully and unequivocally. ‎While the challenges are daunting, we share the resolve and commitment needed to ensure peace and prosperity for the people of the Middle East.”

Source: US Media