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Rubio tours Gulf in bid to allay allies’ security concerns over the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on the second day of a visit to the Gulf region to reassure allies that a deal to end the Iran-US war would account for their security concerns.
On Wednesday, Rubio held a working lunch with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other senior figures, including National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
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Rubio then travelled to Kuwait, and is also expected in Bahrain in the coming days as the US looks to reassure its close allies, who were hit hard by Iran during the war.
“We want to hear from our partners,” Rubio told reporters as he arrived in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. “We want to make sure that their views are taken into account, and we understand their security concerns, their regional economic concerns as well.”
According to his spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, Rubio and Al Nayhan discussed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran “efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region”.
He added that Rubio also “thanked the UAE for their leadership and unparalleled support, praised their courage and resilience in the face of Iran’s attacks, and reaffirmed the US commitment to the security of the Emirates”.
Speaking at a press conference in Kuwait City, the next stop on his regional tour, Rubio said the Trump administration would be “completely aligned” with its Gulf partners as negotiations proceed with Iran following the signing of the MOU.
“That’s why we’re meeting with all of them tomorrow, that’s why I’m taking these trips now. And it’s the reason why I’m here, apart from thanking them for the incredible support they gave us throughout this process,” Rubio said.
“We want them to know, and we want to reiterate, and begin to talk to them and engage them on conversations about every decision that’s made with regards to this negotiation.
“We’re not going to do anything that undermines the security of our allies – our longstanding allies – in the region,” he said, adding that he had a “very frank” conversation with Gulf partners.
Strait of Hormuz
Rubio’s comments come after the US and Iran signed a MOU last week to extend a fragile ceasefire and work towards a permanent end to more than 100 days of war. Talks are supposed to continue for 60 days to iron out thorny issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
The US and Israel launched the war on February 28, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial wave of strikes. As part of its response, Tehran attacked, with varying intensity, all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The UAE alone was targeted by about 2,800 missiles and drones; in Kuwait, the airport, commercial ports and desalination plants were hit; missile attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s main gas facility, caused “significant damage”.
Iran also attacked and threatened to attack vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, through which the GCC nations export most of their oil and gas to the world. Iran’s de facto blockade of the narrow waterway resulted in billions of dollars in lost revenues.
The US-Iran accord includes the resumption of traffic through the maritime trade chokepoint and the removal of a US blockade on Iranian ports. It is not clear yet whether Iran still intends to impose a fee for vessels passing through the strait, something that senior Iranian officials have previously suggested. Trump made clear on Wednesday that it’s not an option. In an all-capital letter post on his Truth Social platform, he said that no tolls, no insurance costs or charges of any kind should be applied to ships.
Rubio also reiterated during his press conference in Kuwait that Iran could not charge fees for the Strait of Hormuz.
Still, the agreement also includes a waiver on US sanctions and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
It does not address Iran’s ballistic missiles nor Tehran’s relations with its regional allies – two concerns for Gulf countries, which have found their cities and energy infrastructure highly vulnerable to Iranian missiles, rockets and drones during the war.
