The May 14 Camp David Summit between President Barack Obama and leaders of the Gulf counties was only a partial success. Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud stayed away, as the US president was not ready to negotiate a defense pact that would protect the Gulf against Iranian ambitions. Obama did, however, assure his interlocutors from the Gulf that the United States' prime goal was preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and that his administration will continue to strengthen Gulf security and interests.
A senior source in the State Department told Al-Monitor that this attitude of not bending over backward to the oil-rich countries accurately reflects Obama's foreign policy approach.
