US wants an Iran deal, but not at ‘any price,’ Rubio tells GCC ministerial meeting

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the US wanted to make a deal with Iran, but not at any price, assuring a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministerial meeting that the interests of US allies and partners will be taken into account.

Rubio, who was on a tour that included the UAE and Kuwait, made his comments during the GCC-US Joint Ministerial Meeting that was held in Bahrain’s capital Manama.

His visit came after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to end the Middle East war.

“While we want a deal, we don’t want a deal at any price,” he said. “We want a deal that’s good, we want a deal that’s real, we want a deal that’s verifiable, and we want a deal that’s adhered to.”

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Rubio told the foreign ministers that the US hoped that talks with Iran were going to lead to a positive outcome, but warned that if Iran chooses a different path then this will not lead to the outcomes the US had hoped for.

“We want to ensure... that there is no part of this deal that’s undertaken that in any way undermines the security, the stability, or the prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region,” he said.

He noted that were matters that the US sees as unacceptable including Iran’s nuclear weapons and Iran setting tolls on ships passing the Strait of Hormuz.

“International waterways do not belong to any nation state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without which the world would be in total chaos,” he said.

“If in fact we accepted that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be near your territorial space, well then this will spread throughout the world like a contagion.”

Oman’s top diplomat, for his part, said no transit fees would be imposed in the strait, during a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers with Rubio.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi later “emphasized the importance of continued coordination” with Oman.

Rubio later told reporters that Gulf allies has shared some very serious concerns and that they wanted to be informed of every step of the peace accord, which includes provisions on Hormuz.

If Iran threatens or blocks ships in the Strait of Hormuz, “then we’re going to have a problem,” Rubio said adding that there was zero support among Gulf countries for a Strait of Hormuz toll.

In his opening remarks, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani welcomed Oman’s announcement of a corridor for the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Al Zayani also said that the recent events tested the region in ways it had hoped never to face, noting that there was a glimmer of hope to the region with the signing of the MoU between Iran and the US.

Al Zayani also noted that it was critically important that Iran fully adheres to its obligations including preventing it from acquiring a nuclear weapon and ensuring freedom of navigation.

With agencies

Read more: Rubio Says US Will Not Accept Iranian Tolls on Hormuz