Saudi king to meet with Obama amid Gulf concerns over Iran deal
Saudi King Salman will meet with US President Barack Obama in Washington on Friday to seek more support in countering Iran, as the Obama administration aims to use the visit to shore up relations after a period of tensions.
The visit is the king's first to the United States since ascending to the throne in January, and comes after the United States agreed to a nuclear deal with Iran in July, raising Gulf Arab fears that the lifting of sanctions on Iran would enable it to pursue destabilizing policies in the Middle East.
The US-Saudi relationship has suffered strain because of what Riyadh sees as Obama's withdrawal from the region, a lack of direct US action against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and a perceived US tilt towards Iran since the 2011 Arab uprisings.
