Defense Secretary Robert Gates "said Thursday that Persian Gulf allies understand sanctions are the inevitable next step in dealing with the threat of a nuclear Iran," the Associated Press writes. And, the wire service adds, "he predicted economic sanctions will work because of broad international consensus that Iran is out of bounds."

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly is traveling with the Defense secretary. He's now in Abu Dhabi, after visits to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to reporters earlier today, Gates made the case that, historically, sanctions have worked when there's broad international support — which he believes the U.S. has in its policy toward Iran and that nation's question for nuclear capabilities. Mary Louise sent along this clip of some of what he had to say:

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