Obama speaks at a summit with Persian Gulf leaders that's off to a shaky start
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Noting it's a time of "extraordinary challenges" in the region, Obama said that the US would potentially come to the Gulf States' defense if any of those countries' territorial integrity were jeopardized. "I am reaffirming our ironclad commitment to the security of our Gulf partners," said Obama, noting that cooperation with the Gulf States had been a "fundamental tenant of American foreign policy" for decades.
He also talked of a Syrian "government without Bashar Assad," suggesting that the US once again believes that the Syrian president's removal is a prerequisite for peace in the country.
Obama emphasized that he did not ask the Gulf leaders to "sign off" on an Iranian nuclear deal, noting that hte deal hasn't been finalized yet. But he said that the Gulf states believe that a "comprehensive, verifiable" deal with Iran is in their collective interest.
But, the Gulf states will worry that reduced sanctions against Iran as a result of the deal would only lead Iran to engage in "more destabilizing acitivity." Obama said that "the commitment that Iran has made to its people in terms of suring up its economy and increasing economic growth" suggested that it woudl not make aggressive regional policies a top priority after sanctions are lifted.
The meeting - which includes high-level officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain - got off to a shaky start when Obama incorrectly introduced the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia and misnamed the founder of the kingdom after being snubbed by King Salman of Saudi Arabia who backed out of the summit only one day prior.
Salman was not the only high-ranking leader to back out. The highest-ranking leaders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE - 4/6 of the Gulf Cooperation Council's members - declined to attend as well, citing the respective leaders' declining health.
During the summit itself, reports emerged that Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are talking about matching Iran's nuclear capacity if the US allows Iran to go ahead with some of its uranium enrichment under a final nuclear deal.
"My guess is that the summit is going to leave everybody feeling a little bit unsatisfied," Jon Alterman, the Middle East director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Associated Press.
The Gulf states' ire stems primarily from the US-brokered nuclear deal with Iran, one of their biggest regional rivals, and Obama's refusal to sign a defense treaty with the Gulf Cooperation Council that would require the US to intervene if Iran were to attack one of its members.
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