Washington: The United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Thursday reaffirmed their strategic partnership, backed the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran, and declared that no tolls or fees should ever be imposed on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The joint declaration followed a ministerial meeting in Manama, co-chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, with foreign ministers from all six GCC states and the GCC Secretary General, Jasem Albudaiwi.
The ministers welcomed the US-Iran MOU and recognised “the important mediation roles played by Pakistan and Qatar.” They said negotiations should continue towards “a more permanent end to hostilities” while pursuing the shared objective of preventing Iran from “ever developing or otherwise acquiring a nuclear weapon.”
At the same time, the ministers stressed that any lasting regional settlement must address what they described as the “full spectrum of Iran’s threats,” including ballistic missiles, drones and support for proxy groups.
The meeting also placed significant emphasis on freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping lanes.
The ministers said, “Free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation, including the right of transit passage as guaranteed under international law, remains essential to regional and global security.” They rejected “any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control over the Strait.”
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Rubio reinforced that position.
“If you are charging money to use the straits, we won’t support it. We won’t tolerate it; we won’t allow it. And I think there was unanimity in that room on that point,” he said.
Rubio also said Gulf partners wanted to remain closely involved as negotiations with Iran move forward.
“We’re not going to do anything or agree to anything that they’re not aware of, that our partners in the area are not aware of, that our partners in the area are not aligned with, and that in any way could undermine their security and their stability,” he said.
On Iran’s regional activities, Rubio said the MOU already provides a framework for broader discussions.
“You’re not going to have peace and stability in this region as long as there are non-state actors operating within the boundaries and borders of sovereign countries and being funded by Iran,” he said.
The joint statement also reaffirmed support for Syria’s sovereignty and pledged continued assistance to help the country’s government restore services, counter terrorism and enable the voluntary return of refugees.
In Lebanon, the ministers welcomed ongoing US-facilitated negotiations between Israel and Lebanon aimed at achieving a lasting peace agreement. They called for the full disarmament of non-state armed groups and restoration of the Lebanese state’s monopoly over the use of force.
The June 17 US-Iran MOU marked the first formal framework for negotiations after weeks of heightened regional tensions. It set out broad principles for talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, regional security and freedom of navigation while opening the way for detailed technical negotiations.
The GCC, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has long been one of Washington’s principal security and economic partners in the Gulf.
(AINS)
