Any US-Iran deal will ensure security of Gulf allies, Rubio assures GCC nations during Mideast tour

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Gulf allies on Thursday that any deal with Iran would take their interests into account, as he wrapped up a Middle East trip aimed at selling the Trump administration’s preliminary accord to sceptical regional partners. Speaking at a meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Rubio said Washington was seeking an enduring peace with long-time foe Iran that would not undermine the security and prosperity of its allies in the oil-rich region, which fear the accord is too soft on Iran. Iran fought two of the world’s most powerful armies — the US and Israel — during the conflict and took effective control of the vital Strait of Hormuz, heavily disrupting oil flows and rattling global energy markets and the wider economy. The war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, and Tehran targeted US assets and bases in Gulf countries in retaliation. It, however, has not accepted responsibility for all of those attacks. At the GCC meeting, Rubio said: “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.” Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, who chaired the gathering, welcomed Oman’s announcement of a corridor for the safe passage of vessels through the strait. Rubio’s three-day tour of the Gulf is the first high-level diplomatic mission since the US-Iran framework agreement last week to end the war on Iran. He has acknowledged the delicacy of his mission as he seeks to win over Gulf Arab leaders wary that excessive concessions could strengthen Tehran and reshape the region’s security balance and oil flows. At his previous stops in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, Rubio sought to assure officials that the proposed deal was not overly favourable to Iran. “We’re not going to do anything tha