US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Gulf Arab leaders that any deal to end the war with Iran would take into account their security interests, as he sought to reassure allies wary of a potential rapprochement with Tehran.
Speaking at a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers in Manama, Bahrain, on Thursday, Rubio said Washington is 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.
Rubio's three-day tour is the first high-level diplomatic mission since the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding to extend their ceasefire and hold talks on a permanent end to the more than 100-day war, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
He acknowledged the delicacy of his mission as he seeks to win over Gulf Arab leaders who fear that excessive concessions could strengthen Tehran and reshape the region's security balance and oil flows.
In Manama, he told Bahraini leaders that the US wants to ensure any agreement with Iran takes into account the “interest of allies”. “We are open for peace that is enduring and real and doesn’t undermine security and prosperity for the US or its allies,” he added.
At previous stops in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, Rubio sought to assure officials that the proposed deal was not overly favorable to Iran, which attacked several Gulf states during the war.
“We’re not going to do anything that undermines the security of our allies, our longstanding allies in the region,” he told reporters in Kuwait.
The draft US-Iran agreement reportedly includes no limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles, a proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund, and provisions that could expand Tehran’s regional influence and control over critical oil shipping lanes.
Rubio said he would not ask regional allies to contribute to any reconstruction fund during the trip, even as the MoU with Iran suggests that countries in the region would at least be partially responsible for footing the bill.
Source: www.aljazeera.com