Obama: There is no sign of Arab countries' intent to compete with Iran in nuclear capabilities

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, stated in an interview that there is no indication that Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries in the region intend to launch their own nuclear programs and compete with Iran. In a conversation with 'The Atlantic' magazine, conducted on Tuesday and published on Thursday, he responded to a question regarding the intentions of Middle Eastern Arab countries for nuclear competition with Iran, saying, 'There is no sign that the Saudis or other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council intend to start their own nuclear program.' He added, 'Part of the reason they will not pursue their own nuclear program - assuming we will prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons - is that what we provide for their protection as partners and allies will have greater deterrent power than what they hope to achieve through nuclear development and capacity building. And of course, they are aware of this.' Obama also commented on the meeting with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council at Camp David, stating, 'What we observed in this meeting with the members of the Cooperation Council was legitimate skepticism and concern not only about Iran's nuclear program but also about the consequences of lifting sanctions. We explained to them four pathways (to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons) that will be considered in any agreement with Iran that I sign.' The Camp David summit was held last week at the invitation of the U.S. President, with senior officials and representatives from six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, in attendance. Obama assured the Arab Gulf countries that Washington would defend them against any military threats and emphasized strengthening security cooperation with the Arabs. The U.S. President noted the satisfaction of the countries present at the Camp David meeting regarding the criteria set for the nuclear agreement with Iran, stating to 'The Atlantic', 'Based on this, they have come to understand that ultimately their security and defense will be better guaranteed through cooperation with us.' In another part of the interview, Obama emphasized that his credibility is also at stake in U.S. policies aimed at reaching an agreement with Iran and preventing the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. He stated, 'God willing, I will be alive in 20 years, and if during these years Iran acquires nuclear weapons, this issue will be attributed to me.' Obama clarified, 'It is fair to say that, in addition to national security interests, I have personal reasons to conclude on this matter.' Iran and six world powers are negotiating to reach a comprehensive and final agreement to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear program. On April 2, Iran and the U.S., U.K., France, China, and Russia, along with Germany (the members of the 1+5 group), announced in Lausanne, Switzerland, that they had defined the 'frameworks' for the final agreement. According to the Lausanne understanding, the scope of Iran's nuclear program will be limited in exchange for the lifting of European Union and U.S. sanctions and United Nations Security Council resolutions against the Islamic Republic. Obama: 'We are not losing to the Islamic State.' Barack Obama also described the capture of the city of Ramadi in Iraq by the Islamic State group as a tactical retreat, stating that the war against extremist Islamists has not been lost. In his interview with 'The Atlantic', he emphasized, 'I don't think we are losing.' Obama added, 'There is no doubt this was a tactical retreat, although Ramadi has been vulnerable for a long time.' This week, Islamic State forces managed to capture Ramadi, the center of Iraq's largest province, while simultaneously advancing towards central and western areas of Syria after taking the ancient city of Palmyra. The group currently controls half of Syrian territory. Since last summer, an international coalition led by the U.S. has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria, and according to reports, over six thousand airstrikes have been carried out against the group's positions. The goal of these attacks has been stated as weakening the capabilities of the Islamic State. However, the U.S. has refrained from deploying ground troops to Iraq to confront the mentioned group. Nonetheless, Barack Obama attributed the capture of Ramadi by the Islamic State to the use of inadequately trained forces and the lack of reinforcement for the security forces defending the city. The U.S. President emphasized that Iraqi forces had been in the city for a year without adequate support. He added, 'This indicates that the training of security forces, strengthening fortifications, and the command and control system in Anbar province and Sunni areas of the country are not proceeding at the necessary pace.' Obama stated that in Sunni areas, not only must the speed of training forces increase, but the issue of commitment must also be strengthened, and it is better to assign a more active role to Sunni tribes and clans.