President Obama Hosts Gulf Summit Today

President Obama is convening delegations from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations at Camp David today to discuss pressing security issues across the Middle East. The summit is foremost an opportunity for the president to make assurances to the Gulf about their security if a nuclear agreement is reached with Iran, but will also include discussions about the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, the continuing Syrian civil war, and the fight against the Islamic State.

President Obama met with Saudi delegates yesterday, including Interior Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Defense Minister Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa are skipping the summit in what has largely been perceived as a snub of the Obama Administration. President Obama is expected to offer the Gulf states a large package of defense systems to ensure the GCC’s security but has already quashed the idea of a NATO-like defense pact advocated by some Gulf diplomats.

Islamic State Deputy Reportedly Killed

The Iraqi Defence Ministry reported yesterday that Abu Alaa al-Afri, the Islamic State’s top deputy to the organization’s self-appointed caliph, has been killed in an airstrike in the city of Tal Afar. They also released video of a strike and photos of his body. The U.S. government has cast doubt on the Iraqi government’s report, saying it did not conduct a strike on the mosque in Tal Afar, where Afri was reportedly killed, and some have noted that the video released by the Iraqi government may be the same as one released by the United States depicting a May 4 strike in Mosul.

Headlines

• The Vatican announced it is preparing to sign its first treaty with the Palestinian leadership, days before a visit from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; the Vatican has recognized Palestine as a state since 2013.

• Iranian parliamentarians are backing away from a bill that would halt nuclear negotiations with the United States until Washington apologizes for perceived threats; some said that they were not aware of plans to fast-track the legislation, while others said they were duped into signing what they didn’t even realize was a bill.

• The Yemeni government warned Iran yesterday that it “bears complete responsibility for any incident that arises from their attempt to enter Yemeni waters” if it does not allow the search of a cargo ship purportedly carrying humanitarian aid; the United States has urged Iran to direct aid through the U.N. hub in Djibouti.

• Syrian opposition groups have declined to meet with U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura for preliminary peace talks, citing his comments supporting a role for Assad in a potential political transition.

• The British government said it would opt-out of any quota system approved by the European Union for a burden-sharing redistribution of migrants fleeing to Europe from Libyan ports.

-J. Dana Stuster

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images