US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday assured Gulf Arab allies that any future agreement with Iran would take their security interests into account as he concluded a regional tour aimed at building support for the Trump administration’s preliminary accord with Tehran.
Speaking at a meeting of Gulf Arab foreign ministers and senior officials in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Rubio said Washington was seeking a lasting peace with Iran without compromising the security and prosperity of its partners in the Gulf.
The visit comes amid concerns among Gulf states that the proposed agreement may be too lenient on Iran following the recent conflict, during which Tehran confronted US and Israeli forces and took effective control of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil shipments and rattling energy markets.
Rubio stressed that the United States remained committed to ensuring the region’s long-term stability while pursuing diplomacy with Tehran.
During the meeting, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani welcomed Oman’s decision to establish a temporary maritime corridor to facilitate the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.