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CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) — President Barack Obama today has been trying to reassure Persian Gulf nations that the United States is committed to their security. He's insisting that a nuclear deal with Iran would not leave those countries more vulnerable.
Obama has been pressing that point during a summit at Camp David in Maryland with leaders from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The leaders are expected to issue a statement announcing new military commitments, including joint exercises and cooperation on ballistic missiles.
While the U.S. has long provided military support to partners in the Gulf, the new commitments are expected to extend into cyber, maritime and border security.
Obama's negotiations to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief has strained relations with many of America's traditional partners in the region. Gulf states fear that if Iran gets an influx of money when sanctions are lifted, it will embolden what they see as Iran's aggression in the region.
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204-a-13-(Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, at news conference)-"special operations, counterterrorism"-White House adviser Ben Rhodes says much of the discussion at Camp David has been on strengthening the Arab countries' own capabilities. (14 May 2015)
<<CUT *204 (05/14/15)££ 00:13 "special operations, counterterrorism"
206-a-12-(Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, at news conference)-"in the region"-White House adviser Ben Rhodes says the Gulf leaders are at least as worried by Iran's actions in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere as they are about a potential nuclear agreement. (14 May 2015)
<<CUT *206 (05/14/15)££ 00:12 "in the region"
APPHOTO MDPM101: President Barack Obama, center left, meets with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders and delegations at Camp David, Md., Thursday, May 14, 2015. Obama and leaders from six Gulf nations are trying to work through tensions sparked by the U.S. bid for a nuclear deal with Iran, a pursuit that has put regional partners on edge. Obama is seeking to reassure the Gulf leaders that the U.S. overtures to Iran will not come at the expense of commitments to their security. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is at left. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (14 May 2015)
<<APPHOTO MDPM101 (05/14/15)££
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