BAHRAIN: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured Gulf allies on Thursday that any agreement between Washington and Tehran would take their interests into consideration, as he concluded a Middle East tour aimed at convincing sceptical regional partners to support the Trump administration’s preliminary accord with Iran.
Addressing a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Rubio said the United States was pursuing a lasting peace with Iran that would not come at the expense of the security or prosperity of its allies in the oil-rich Gulf region. Several Gulf states have expressed concern that the proposed agreement may be too accommodating towards Tehran.
Iran fought against the United States and Israel during the recent conflict and effectively took control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, severely disrupting oil shipments and unsettling global energy markets and the wider economy.
The conflict began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. In response, Tehran launched attacks on US military assets and bases located in Gulf countries, although Iran has not accepted responsibility for all of those incidents.
Speaking at the GCC gathering, Rubio reiterated Washington’s position on freedom of navigation through international waterways.
“The reality of it is that no country on Earth has the right to charge for the use of international waterways. And that will never be an acceptable condition of any deal. The president’s been fundamentally clear about that,” he said.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, who chaired the meeting, welcomed Oman’s announcement of a corridor designed to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio’s three-day Gulf tour marked the first high-level diplomatic mission since the United States and Iran reached a framework agreement last week aimed at ending the conflict.
The US secretary of state acknowledged the sensitivity of the mission as he sought to reassure Gulf Arab leaders concerned that excessive concessions to Tehran could strengthen Iran’s position and alter the regional security balance, as well as affect oil flows through critical waterways.
During previous visits to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, Rubio repeatedly assured officials that the proposed agreement would not favour Iran at the expense of America’s regional partners.
“We’re not going to do anything that undermines the security of our allies, our longstanding allies in the region,” Rubio told reporters during his visit to Kuwait.
However, questions remain over the exact terms of the proposed agreement. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran had agreed to allow nuclear inspections indefinitely, while Iranian officials denied making such a concession during negotiations.
The two sides, which concluded a first round of talks in Switzerland on Monday, have also provided differing accounts regarding financial incentives for Iran, future control of the Strait of Hormuz and the impact of Israel’s parallel military operations in Lebanon.
All six GCC member states — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait — are key strategic allies of the United States and provided varying levels of logistical support to Washington during the conflict.
Collectively, these countries form a central pillar of the US security framework in the Middle East. Any shift in their security relationship with Washington could have major implications for American military strategy across the region.
According to details of the draft agreement, there would be no restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme. The proposal also includes a $300 billion reconstruction fund and provisions that critics argue could increase Tehran’s regional influence and strengthen its role in overseeing vital oil shipping routes.
Rubio has said he would not ask Gulf allies to contribute financially to any reconstruction fund during his regional tour, despite indications in the memorandum of understanding with Iran that countries in the region could ultimately bear part of the financial burden.