Spotlight: Obama strives to mend fence in Mideast before leaving office

U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz here in efforts to mend ties with the old-time ally before leaving office in January next year.

Obama underscored the importance of accelerating the campaign against the Islamic State and welcomed Saudi Arabia's important role in the coalition against the terrorist group, read a White House statement.

The two leaders also discussed regional conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and challenges posed by Iran.

It is Obama's fourth and very likely last visit to the oil-rich Gulf nation. He will also attend a summit with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The kingdom is seen as one of Washington's most strategic allies in the Middle East, but bilateral relations were strained by the nuclear deal reached with Iran last year.

Hours before Obama met King Salman, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter held talks with his Gulf Arab counterparts on military cooperation and the latest developments in the Middle East, including what were described as Iran's destabilizing activities and IS, said GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani.

The GCC countries and the United States have agreed to carry out joint patrols to stop any Iranian arms shipments reaching Yemen, al-Zayani told a press conference.

The U.S. defense chief urged the GCC members to be more engaged in helping the Iraqi government fight IS and to rebuild areas where the militants have been pushed out.

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The summit comes on the heels of Obama's criticism of Saudi Arabia's regional role, which prompted a strong rebuke from the Saudi royal family.

In a recent interview with The Atlantic, Obama described Saudi Arabia and other allies as "free riders" on U.S. foreign policy, and criticized what he saw as Riyadh's funding of religious intolerance.

Almost a year ago, in May 2015, Obama hosted leaders of Gulf nations at the White House and Camp David, the first meeting of the Gulf countries following a framework agreement on limiting Iran's nuclear program.

Except for Kuwait and Qatar, top leaders from four of the six-member GCC countries were absent from the 2015 summit.

With Iran a thorn in ties between Washington and its traditional Gulf friends, the U.S. side has tried to calm its allies before the visit.

"I don't think there can be any confusion about who is our partner in the region and who is not," said Obama's senior advisor for the Gulf Rob Malley.

However, the adivor talked about "a different relationship between the GCC and Iran," saying that Obama believed such a relationship is "good for the region and good for stability overall."

The White House said that Obama had spoken of a "cold peace" between Gulf states and Iran during talks with King Salman.

The president urged both sides to put aside their differences in order to focus on what he sees as a greater threat from the Islamic State. Endit