Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. He will also stop in Djibouti, where demonstrators inspired by revolts that toppled leaders in Egypt and Tunisia have clashed with riot police.

"Though this trip was planned well before the recent unrest in the region, the chairman will be interested to gain the perspectives of leaders here about these protest movements," said spokesman Capt. John Kirby.

Mullen, he added, will also "make clear his desire to see that peaceful protest be allowed to continue without threats or violence from any quarter and that restraint is shown by all sides in these disputes."

No further details on the trip were provided.

Mullen's itinerary did not include Bahrain, a cornerstone of U S military power in the Gulf and the site of deadly clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces last week. The United States regards Bahrain, home to the U S Navy's Fifth Fleet, as a bulwark against Shia power Iran across the Gulf.