REPORT: Obama meets Saudi king as US Iran policy strains alliance

Reassuring an anxious ally, President Barack Obama sat down Wednesday for a meeting with King Salman as he opened a trip to Saudi Arabia shadowed by the kingdom's deep opposition to his Iran nuclear deal and skepticism about his approach to Syria. 
     
Obama, during a roughly 24-hour stay in the Saudi capital, planned to attend a Persian Gulf summit focused on regional stability, Iran and counterterrorism  including the fight against the Islamic State and al-Qaida.
     
Under crystal chandeliers, King Salman greeted Obama in a grand foyer at Erga Palace, where the two walked slowly to a reception room as the small of incense wafted. The two offered polite smiles as they sat down side by side for pictures at the start of their two-hour private meeting.
      
King Salman offered similarly gracious words for the president, who is paying his fourth trip here for face-to-face meetings and photos with royal rulers since becoming president.
  
In addition to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain are participating in the regional summit. In addition to the Islamic State, the talks are also expected to address the Saudi-led military campaign against Shiite rebels and their allies in neighboring Yemen.
 
Concerns about IS extremists were also on the agenda for Obama's meeting late Wednesday in Riyadh with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and a key Emirati leader, the White House said.
     
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter and CIA Director John Brennan were among the officials accompanying Obama. Carter, meeting with defense ministers from the Gulf nations Wednesday, pressed them to provide more economic and political support to Iraq in a preview of themes Obama was expected to emphasize.