Bahrain Mirror (Reuters): U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday he believed respect for human rights and an inclusive political system is essential for Bahrain, following international criticism of the Gulf monarchy's rights record.

Kerry, who is in Manama to prepare for a summit between President Barack Obama and Gulf heads of state in Saudi Arabia later this month, added that he did not known what type of weapons were used in an air strike in Yemen that killed 97 civilians.

"I don't have any solid information, any documentation with respect to what weapon might or might not have been used. There are questions being asked," Kerry said. "Whatever weapons are being used, our preference is that all shooting stops."

In an apparent reference to the conflict in Yemen, Kerry also said it was not constructive for Iran to be sending weapons across the Gulf to fuel a war which the United States was trying to do.