WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2017 — During a Dec. 28 phone conversation, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis congratulated Qatar Minister of Defense Khalid Al-Attiyah for the minister’s promotion to deputy prime minister, according to a statement released by Pentagon press operations.
Mattis also conveyed his commitment to strengthening their partnership as the Qatari minister will retain his duties as minister of defense, the statement said.
The secretary emphasized the importance of deescalating tensions in the Middle East so all partners in the Gulf region can focus their combined efforts to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and deal with the threat Iran poses to the region.