Obama will seek to address concerns raised by Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regarding the implications of the Iran nuclear agreement on regional security in the Middle East.
Obama and Salman are expected to discuss how to coordinate more closely to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, especially in light of the estimated $56 billion Tehran will receive from sanctions relief that could be used on nefarious activities.
The United States and Saudi Arabia can counter Iranian asymmetric threats by cooperating on areas like maritime security, cybersecurity, ballistic missile defense, Special Forces capability and intelligence, White House officials told reporters on Wednesday.
The visit presents an opportunity to review progress since Obama hosted GCC leaders at Camp David in May, including inter-agency working groups that have been focused on US-GCC cooperation on counterterrorism, border security, military planning, training and procurement relationships with US defense companies.
The two leaders are expected to discuss some non-military issues as well, such as cooperation on education, commerce, health and energy.
The visit will represent the 79-year old Salman’s first trip to Washington since succeeding his brother, King Abdullah, who died in January.
