US lobbies in Gulf region to mount pressure on Iran

US officials have toured countries in the Gulf region in a campaign for coordinated moves against Iran, the US State Department has said.

A delegation of senior US State Department officials had made a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, where they met with Saudi officials to "coordinate stronger pressure on Iran", including new ways to end Tehran's revenues to "terrorize" other countries, according to the transcript of a senior State Department official's briefing to reporters released on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the US and Saudi officials also discussed how to avoid oil market's volatility considering pending US oil sanctions on Iran.

The official revealed that the US delegation visited Bahrain on Tuesday, where they continued to lobby for "powerful deterrent" against Iran.

Also on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The US party said the crown prince uttered his support for US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in early May.

Washington has intensified its sanctions against Tehran following the US exit from the landmark pact.

The US officials announced earlier in July that part of the US sanctions, which had been lifted under the nuclear deal, including targeting Iran's oil export, will snap back in early November.

The move could be a big blow to the Middle East country whose revenues largely depend on oil export and is likely to seriously shake the international oil market.

--IANS

pgh/