| NEWS ARCHIVES |
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| Gates in Saudi Arabia to promote Midde East peace |
| 10 Mar 2010 |
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US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is in Riyadh for talks expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme and Washington's push for tough sanctions against Tehran.
He is due to meet King Abdullah as the Obama administration keeps up a concerted effort to rally international support for punitive sanctions against Iran.
A US official said Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are "incredibly concerned about Iran's nuclear programme," as well as its growing missile arsenal and "destabilising" role in the region.
The UN Security Council has already slapped three rounds of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment which Israel and the West view as a cover to build nuclear weapons.
Tehran denies the charge, saying the programme is for peaceful nuclear energy.
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