Pompeo stresses need for Gulf unity

RIYADH, Apr 29 (Reuters): US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored the need for unity in the Gulf on Sunday during a brief visit to the Saudi capital.
"Gulf unity is necessary and we need to achieve it," Pompeo said at a news conference.
Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar last June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and arch rival Iran.
Doha has denied the charges and has said the countries aim to curtail its sovereignty.
Earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on a hastily-arranged visit to the Middle East as the United States aims to muster support for new sanctions against Iran.
The visit to Riyadh, Jerusalem and Amman just two days after Pompeo was sworn-in comes as President Donald Trump is set to decide whether to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that is still supported by European powers.
"We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran's missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans," Brian Hook, a senior policy advisor traveling with Pompeo, told reporters.
Hook said a salvo of ballistic missiles fired into Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi movement that killed a man earlier on Saturday had been provided by Tehran.
"Iran's missiles prolong war and suffering in the Middle East, they threaten our security and economic interests and they especially threaten Saudi Arabia and Israel," he said.
The 2015 deal that limits Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief does not cover its missile programme.
Trump has called it the "worst deal ever" and threatened to re-impose sanctions unless Britain, France and Germany agree to fix it. Resuming sanctions would likely kill the deal.