BOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT — US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Saturday that Bahrain's leaders needed to move quickly to adopt major reforms or else risk interference from Iran. Although there were no signs Shiite-led Iran was behind unrest in the Gulf kingdom or elsewhere in the region, Tehran would likely work to meddle in Bahrain's politics amid sectarian tensions, Gates told reporters on his plane after a visit to Manama. "I expressed the view that we had no evidence that suggested that Iran started any of these popular revolutions or demonstrations across the region," said Gates, recounting his talks with the country's king and crown prince. "But there is clear evidence that as the process is protracted, particularly in Bahrain, the Iranians are looking for ways to exploit it and create problems," Gates said. "So I told them, in this instance, time is not our friend." Bahrain, a Shiite-majority state ruled by a Sunni dynasty, has been gripped by protests calling for political change since February 14. The US defence chief, who arrived Friday evening in Bahrain, said he came away encouraged that Bahrain's king and crown prince were ready to take "far-reaching steps" to accommodate anti-government protesters.
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