Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is hosted by Royal Saudi Air Force Air Chief Marshal Fayyadh Al Ruwaili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at the ministry of defense in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Nov. 26, 2019. (Photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro)

Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with His Majesty, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain during a visit to Manama, Bahrain, Nov. 25, 2019. (Photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro)

Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with Jordanian Air Force Lt. Gen. Yousef al-Hunaiti, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian armed forces, in Amman, Jordan, Nov. 25, 2019. (Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro, DOD)

Army Gen. Mark A. Milley also discussed the need for deterrence regarding Iran. Milley spoke with military and civilian leaders in Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq on this four-day trip.

The chairman did not divulge information from his confidential conversations with foreign leaders, but he did share his overall messages and concerns with reporters traveling with him.

In every country he had receptions and engagements with all leaders. "In all of them, one of the messages … was assurance, commitment, resolve," he said. "I expressed to all the leaders … that the United States continues to value their partnership, and that we have a common cause against common threats, and that we have [to] remain committed."

He said U.S. and partner-nation national security interests coincide, and they all remain committed partners. "We will help them. We won't do things for them. We will work by, with and through them. We will teach, coach, mentor, enable, advise, assist, train and support in many, many different ways," Milley said.

All this can lead to a stable and prosperous Middle East, Central Asia, the chairman said.

Milley's second major national security theme was deterrence — specifically deterring Iran — and the general restated U.S. policy toward that rogue state.

He stressed to each of the leaders that the United States is committed to the maximum-pressure campaign in an effort to get Iran back to the negotiating table. "We desire Iran to rejoin the community of nations in a normal way," he said.

The United States wants Iran to seek diplomatic solutions, but, if forced, the U.S. military provides options to defend U.S. partners and interests in the region, he said.

All of the leaders expressed "clear, unambiguous anxiety" over Iran's aggressive behavior, Milley said. They all talked of Iran's efforts to impede freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

They also discussed the Iranian attack on the Aramco oil refinery in Saudi Arabia and Iran's sponsorship of terror groups from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen.

Milley said that in his conversations with the leaders, one request rang out loud and clear: They all want the United States to stay engaged and involved in the region. "All of them view the United States as a valued partner in the region, and they want it to continue," he said.

In some of the countries — including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain — there has been a long-term relationship with the United States going back to World War II. The U.S. relationship with Jordan has had its ups and downs, but it's rock-solid now. And the United States was the first country to recognize Israel when the country was formed in 1948.

Milley, who left Baghdad today, said he is pleased with the U.S. part of the effort in Iraq, but he said he is worried by demonstrations that have occurred all over the country. He said there is "clearly a government in crisis." U.S. embassy officials said this is an internal Iraqi matter between the Iraqi people and their government.

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