Saudi King Salman met with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday to seek more support in countering the regime in Iran, as the Obama administration aims to use the visit to shore up relations after a period of tensions.
The king reiterated the concern of Gulf states over the recent deal on Tehran’s nuclear program.
“They fear that lifting sanctions could allow Iran to extend its support for militant groups and actions across the region they consider destabilising,” the BBC said.
In May, King Salman skipped a summit of Gulf Arab leaders at Camp David, which was widely interpreted as a snub for the US president.
“The Obama administration has vowed to make certain that Iran abides by its commitments under the nuclear deal and to do everything it can to ‘counter Iran’s destabilising activities’ in the Middle East once the country’s estimated $56bn (£37bn) of frozen assets are released,” the BBC said.
In an effort to reassure its Gulf allies, the US has been working with them to develop a ballistic missile defense system, provide special operations training, authorize arms transfers, strengthen cyber security, engage in large-scale military exercises, and enhance maritime operations to halt illegal Iranian arms shipments, it added.
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