Dennis Ross appointed envoy to southwest Asia, Gulf

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has named Dennis Ross to the post of special advisor to the Gulf and southwest Asia, the US State Department announced on Monday.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has named Dennis Ross to the post of special advisor to the Gulf and southwest Asia, the US State Department announced on Monday.

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The head of American diplomacy "is pleased to announce the appointment" of Ross, spokesman Robert Wood said in a statement.

Although not mentioning Iran, the appointment, which was expected for several weeks, is set to impact the United States' efforts to contain Tehran's influence.

"This is a region in which America is fighting two wars and facing challenges of ongoing conflict, terror, proliferation, access to energy, economic development and strengthening democracy and the rule of law," said Wood.