The Growing Strain In U.S. - Saudi Arabia Ties

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (L) arrives with his uncle King Salman (R) to greet U.S. President Barack Obama at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

The Guardian: King Salman of Saudi Arabia pulls out of US talks on Iran

Barack Obama hoped to use summit at White House and Camp David to reassure Saudi monarch about nuclear deal with Iran

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from a carefully orchestrated summit with the US that President Barack Obama hoped would assuage Gulf anxieties about the conclusion of a nuclear agreement with Iran.

The monarch had been expected to join other heads of state from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an unprecedented meeting at the White House and a day of talks at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Now the only leaders attending will be the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait.

The deal with Iran, Saudi-led attacks on Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen and the crises in Syria and Iraq made for a difficult and crowded agenda.

WNU Editor: These meetings are always planned way in advance .... by not showing up the Saudis and their allies are sending a message .... but I suspect that the White House does not care .... an Iranian nuclear deal is far more important to them than accommodating Saudi concerns, and there is probably a believe that in the end the Saudis will still come back to Washington..

More News On The Growing Strain In U.S. - Saudi Relations

Rulers Snub Arab Summit, Clouding U.S. Bid for Iran Deal -- WSJ
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman skipping Camp David summit -- Washington Post
Saudi Arabia Says King Won't Attend Meetings in US -- NYT
Saudi Arabian King not coming to White House meetings with Gulf allies -- CNN
Saudi King Will Skip Obama’s Gulf Nations Summit in U.S. -- Bloomberg
Saudi king sending crown prince to summit with Obama this week -- Reuters
Saudi king pulls out of US-Gulf meet -- Deutsche Welle
Along with Saudi king, most Gulf rulers to skip US summit -- AP