President Obama is hosting leaders and top officials from Gulf allies today in a summit at Camp David. The meeting was apparently convened to address the countries’ concerns over the nuclear deal with Iran. On Wednesday, President Obama welcomed the Saudi delegation at the White House.
President Obama: “This gives us an opportunity to discuss some of the bilateral issues, including the crisis in Yemen and how we can build on the ceasefire that’s been established to restore a process for an inclusive, legitimate government inside of Yemen, and it will also give us a chance to discuss some of the broader issues that will be the topic of the GCC-U.S. summit tomorrow.”
In an apparent snub tied to displeasure over the Iran deal, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman is skipping today’s summit. The White House says it will announce new initiatives on integrating ballistic missile defense systems and increasing joint military exercises.