Obama 'explicitly' assures support to Gulf allies amid heightened tensions with Iran

President Barack Obama has reassured his Gulf allies that the United States will stand by them with military force if necessary, amid heightened tensions with Iran.

After a two-day summit, Obama "explicitly" assured Arab nations that the U.S. was committed to protecting them in a time of "extraordinary changes," reported the BBC.

Speaking at Camp David near Washington, Obama said that a nuclear agreement with Iran was not a threat to Gulf nations. A joint statement pledged new cooperation in many areas including, counterterrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity and ballistic missile defence.

Obama hoped that together they would achieve "the kind of peace and good neighbourliness with Iran" that the nations present sought.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.