US President Barack Obama sought Friday to re-assure the king of Saudi Arabia that Washington will help counter Iranian aggression in the Middle East, maintaining efforts to sell the Iran nuclear deal to a global audience, USA Today reported on September 4th.
“This is obviously a challenging time in world affairs, particularly in the Middle East,” Obama said of his meeting with King Salman bin Abd al Aziz of Saudi Arabia.
In addition to Iran and its “de-stabilizing activities in the region,” Obama said he and the king would discuss ongoing conflicts in Yemen and Syria, and the battle against the Islamic State. Obama said they would also talk about the global economy, climate change and clean energy production.
Speaking with an interpreter, King Salman said the U.S.-Saudi relationship “is beneficial not only to our two countries, but to the entire world and to our region.”
Before the Oval Office session, Obama administration aides said U.S. and Saudi officials would cover a variety of joint security and counter-terrorism efforts with Iran topping the list.
“We understand that Saudi Arabia has concerns about Iran’s behavior in the region,” said White House spokesman Ben Rhodes.
In an unusual move, Obama personally greeted the king at the door of the West Wing after the Saudi motorcade rolled up.
The meeting came as the Obama administration lines up support for the agreement in which the United States and its allies end economic sanctions on Iran as it gives up the means to make nuclear weapons.
Saudi Arabia and some of its neighbors are skeptical that Iran will live up to its end of the bargain. They also say Iran will use the non-sanctioned flow of money to finance terrorism in other countries, such as Yemen and Syria.
Rhodes said the Obama administration will “continue to be focused on discussing with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners how we can build more effective capabilities and cooperation to counter that Iranian activity.”
Obama and aides say the agreement will block Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. In selling the deal to skeptical Arab countries, they are also pledging stepped-up defense assistance against Iranian aggression.
Members of the Republican congressional majority, also critical of the Iran deal, are pushing for a resolution of disapproval. Obama has said he would veto such a resolution, and the administration expects to have enough lawmakers to sustain a veto.
King Salman was making first visit to Washington since ascending to the throne in January.
Obama and King Salman held a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, followed by a working lunch.