US President Barack Obama said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif has been a partner in counterterrorism work and that Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman struck him as extremely knowledgeable, very smart and wise beyond his years.

US President Barack Obama has hailed the success of a summit held with six Gulf leaders in his Camp David compound, saying that the aim of the meeting was to “deepen and broaden” the “excellent relationship” between Washington and its Gulf Cooperation Council allies.

Speaking to Al Arabiya, he said: “The intentions here were to deepen and broaden what is already an excellent relationship between the GCC countries and the US.”

Talking about Washington’s ties with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Obama said: “We have extraordinary respect for his majesty and his leadership. I had a great relationship with King Abdullah who is deeply missed.”

Praising the crown prince, Obama remarked: “Mohammed bin Naif has been a partner with us in counterterrorism and security work for a very long time, so we have a great admiration for him.”

Asked about his meeting with the deputy crown prince, the US leader commented: “This is the first time we had a chance to work closely with a deputy crown prince and he struck as extremely knowledgeable, very smart and wise beyond his years.”

The Gulf allies play a key role in the region’s security, he added.

“What I’m optimistic about it is that the GCC countries represent stability and also I think an awareness of the need for us to be able to move together,” he said.

Asked if the Syrian conflict would prove to be his “Rwanda,” Obama said: “Probably not.”

On Iran, Obama said: “The United States has been very clear that a nuclear armed Iran will potentially be reckless and dangerous. So it is in everyone’s interest to ensure Iran does not have nuclear weapons and provide a pathway for Iran to engage in positive behavior.”

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