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| Iran Deal Will Top Agenda When Saudi King Visits White House | Iran Deal Will Top Agenda When Saudi King Visits White House |
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| WASHINGTON — In a sign of just how much the world has changed in recent years, King Salman of Saudi Arabia will visit President Obama at the White House on Friday, and the kingdom’s oil production will barely get a mention. | WASHINGTON — In a sign of just how much the world has changed in recent years, King Salman of Saudi Arabia will visit President Obama at the White House on Friday, and the kingdom’s oil production will barely get a mention. |
| “I wouldn’t suggest that it was going to be foremost on the agenda,” Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, said in a conference call on Wednesday to discuss the king’s visit. He added that oil would be discussed as “a routine matter, as it frequently is in these meetings.” | “I wouldn’t suggest that it was going to be foremost on the agenda,” Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, said in a conference call on Wednesday to discuss the king’s visit. He added that oil would be discussed as “a routine matter, as it frequently is in these meetings.” |
| Instead, the first order of business for King Salman is likely to be the Iran nuclear deal, analysts said. The White House meeting, which will come just days after Mr. Obama secured enough support in Congress to ensure that the accord will go into effect, represents the first major effort by the administration to reassure important Persian Gulf allies as the deal enters a new phase. | Instead, the first order of business for King Salman is likely to be the Iran nuclear deal, analysts said. The White House meeting, which will come just days after Mr. Obama secured enough support in Congress to ensure that the accord will go into effect, represents the first major effort by the administration to reassure important Persian Gulf allies as the deal enters a new phase. |
| “This is a meeting about the days after the deal,” said Prem G. Kumar, who recently left the National Security Council as a senior director with Middle East responsibilities. | “This is a meeting about the days after the deal,” said Prem G. Kumar, who recently left the National Security Council as a senior director with Middle East responsibilities. |
| For the United States, Saudi Arabia has become less important in some ways, yet more important in others. With the United States roughly doubling its oil production over the past six years, Saudi Arabia’s oil production decisions — once the most important topic when leaders met — are not nearly as vital as they used to be. | For the United States, Saudi Arabia has become less important in some ways, yet more important in others. With the United States roughly doubling its oil production over the past six years, Saudi Arabia’s oil production decisions — once the most important topic when leaders met — are not nearly as vital as they used to be. |
| But under King Salman, Saudi Arabia has become increasingly assertive in the Middle East, intervening in a war in Yemen and stepping up support for rebels in Syria as he positions his country to be the defender of the region’s Sunnis. | But under King Salman, Saudi Arabia has become increasingly assertive in the Middle East, intervening in a war in Yemen and stepping up support for rebels in Syria as he positions his country to be the defender of the region’s Sunnis. |
| The king, who was crowned in January, will make his first visit to the United States four months after skipping a summit meeting of Gulf nations at Camp David. He is widely seen as more vocal than his predecessor in his unhappiness with the United States and, in particular, its approach on Iran. A recent trove of documents from the Saudi Foreign Ministry illustrated a near obsession among the kingdom’s leaders with Iran, which is dominated by Shiites. | |
| “The Saudis want a different and tougher U.S. policy towards Iran,” said Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “The question is whether they’ll have to wait for a new president.” | “The Saudis want a different and tougher U.S. policy towards Iran,” said Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “The question is whether they’ll have to wait for a new president.” |
| Obama administration officials said they understood Saudi Arabia’s concerns about Iran’s behavior in the region, including its support of terrorist groups, and about the economic benefits that Tehran may receive under the nuclear deal. Mr. Obama has offered Saudi Arabia new support to defend against potential missile strikes, maritime threats and cyberattacks from Iran. | Obama administration officials said they understood Saudi Arabia’s concerns about Iran’s behavior in the region, including its support of terrorist groups, and about the economic benefits that Tehran may receive under the nuclear deal. Mr. Obama has offered Saudi Arabia new support to defend against potential missile strikes, maritime threats and cyberattacks from Iran. |
| But for the United States, issues in Yemen, Iraq and Syria are at least as important as those involving Iran, though there is considerable overlap. Saudi Arabia’s attacks in Yemen have been widely seen as worsening a humanitarian crisis there. | But for the United States, issues in Yemen, Iraq and Syria are at least as important as those involving Iran, though there is considerable overlap. Saudi Arabia’s attacks in Yemen have been widely seen as worsening a humanitarian crisis there. |
| “We’re deeply concerned about, in particular, the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Yemen,” said Jeffrey Prescott, a senior director on the National Security Council, adding that the administration wants to ensure “unfettered humanitarian access” in Yemen. | “We’re deeply concerned about, in particular, the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Yemen,” said Jeffrey Prescott, a senior director on the National Security Council, adding that the administration wants to ensure “unfettered humanitarian access” in Yemen. |
| Among the other topics of discussion will be counterterrorism efforts, border security and military planning, training and procurement, Mr. Rhodes said. Mr. Obama and King Salman are also likely to discuss Saudi Arabia’s recent arrest of the man accused of being the mastermind of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 American airmen. | Among the other topics of discussion will be counterterrorism efforts, border security and military planning, training and procurement, Mr. Rhodes said. Mr. Obama and King Salman are also likely to discuss Saudi Arabia’s recent arrest of the man accused of being the mastermind of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 American airmen. |
| The suspect, Ahmed al-Mughassil, has been identified in an American indictment as a senior leader of an Iran-backed Saudi militant group. | The suspect, Ahmed al-Mughassil, has been identified in an American indictment as a senior leader of an Iran-backed Saudi militant group. |
| Mr. Mughassil was arrested at the international airport in Beirut, Lebanon, after arriving on a flight from Tehran, according to two American officials, who declined to give an exact date for the arrest. Lebanese authorities, acting on a tip from Saudi intelligence agents — who in turn had received information from the United States — detained Mr. Mughassil and handed him over to the Saudis, said the American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential intelligence reports. | Mr. Mughassil was arrested at the international airport in Beirut, Lebanon, after arriving on a flight from Tehran, according to two American officials, who declined to give an exact date for the arrest. Lebanese authorities, acting on a tip from Saudi intelligence agents — who in turn had received information from the United States — detained Mr. Mughassil and handed him over to the Saudis, said the American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential intelligence reports. |
| The Mabahith, the secretive Saudi security service, has been providing the C.I.A. with transcripts of its interrogations of Mr. Mughassil, but it has not given the Americans direct access to him, according to a third United States official who has been briefed on the matter. Mr. Mughassil has described details of his relationship with Iranian security and intelligence services, but has so far denied any role in the Khobar Towers attack, the official said. | The Mabahith, the secretive Saudi security service, has been providing the C.I.A. with transcripts of its interrogations of Mr. Mughassil, but it has not given the Americans direct access to him, according to a third United States official who has been briefed on the matter. Mr. Mughassil has described details of his relationship with Iranian security and intelligence services, but has so far denied any role in the Khobar Towers attack, the official said. |
| Middle East analysts said the arrest and sharing of information illustrated the tight working relationship between American and Saudi spy services and law enforcement agencies. | Middle East analysts said the arrest and sharing of information illustrated the tight working relationship between American and Saudi spy services and law enforcement agencies. |
| Bruce Riedel, a former C.I.A. analyst who is now at the Brookings Institution, said that the capture “underscores the very close connections between U.S. and Saudi security services” established by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef since he became interior minister in 2012. | Bruce Riedel, a former C.I.A. analyst who is now at the Brookings Institution, said that the capture “underscores the very close connections between U.S. and Saudi security services” established by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef since he became interior minister in 2012. |