Obama meets Emirates crown prince to discuss Mideast and Iran nuclear deal

Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with President Obama to discuss upheaval in the Middle East as well as the Iran nuclear deal.

By: AP and World Israel News Staff

President Barack Obama’s meeting Monday with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates dealt mainly with conflicts across the Middle East and international talks over an Iran nuclear deal, according to the White House.

Obama hosted the crown prince at the White House amid continuing violence in Yemen, Syria and Libya, which has created a refugee crisis.

The two men also discussed continued security cooperation against Islamic State terrorists and al-Qaida.

The Emirates is part of the Gulf coalition conducting air strikes in Yemen that are targeting Iranian-backed Shiite rebels. The meeting took place as the Navy announced that a US aircraft carrier was joining other US ships in waters off Yemen to head off any Iranian ships that may be carrying weapons for the Houthis rebels.

The end result of the US-led Iran nuclear talks, which have a target deadline of June 30, have also been of high interest to Gulf partners uneasy about Iran’s ability to obtain a nuclear bomb.

“This is obviously an issue of significant concern to a country like the United Arab Emirates,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

The White House said the two men also discussed an upcoming meeting with Gulf leaders in mid-May at the White House and at Camp David.