U.S. President and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on Tuesday discussed the Syrian conflict and Iran’s nuclear program at the White House.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday discussed the Syrian conflict and Iran's nuclear program at the White House.

A joint statement issued after the meeting said the pair discussed a range of regional challenges, including the need for Iran to meet its international obligations with respect to its peaceful nuclear program, the ongoing conflict in Syria and countering the threat of violent extremism.

They "reaffirmed their shared commitment to close defense and security cooperation, including joint training exercises, counterterrorism cooperation and the deployment of interoperable U. S. defense systems," the statement said.

The two leaders also pledged to sustain the expanding economic ties between their countries, as the UAE remains the United States ' largest export market in the Middle East and a "significant" investor in the United States.

The crown prince expressed his condolences for those affected in the bombing attacks in Boston on Monday, which have left at least three people dead and more than 100 injured.

Obama had a working lunch with the crown prince, and Vice President Joe Biden met with him as well.

Obama has scheduled separate meetings at the White House with the emir of Qatar, king of Jordan and prime minister of Turkey this and next month, with focus expected on the conflict in Syria, which has entered its third year and killed more than 70,000 people, according to United Nations’ statistics.