Rubio: US-Iran deal will not come at expense of Gulf security

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a press conference in Manama, Bahrain, following the US-GCC ministerial meeting. He began by addressing the US response to the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, saying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia and Los Angeles are being deployed, with the Department of War playing a key logistical role. He said Qatar, El Salvador and other countries have offered assistance. On the GCC meeting, Rubio described it as "very productive" and said the Gulf countries want to be informed every step of the way as negotiations with Iran proceed. He said the US "will not be making any decisions or commitments that in any way undermines the prosperity, stability or security of our Gulf partners." He reiterated that there is "zero support" among Gulf countries for any toll or fee on the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an international waterway. He said the US will judge Iran by its actions, not its rhetoric, and that if ships continue to move, the US will not be concerned about press conferences. Rubio said the MOU is not a final agreement but creates the outlines for a negotiation process, with specific terms on nuclear limits and verification to be discussed later. He said the US is giving diplomacy every chance to work, but if Iran does not make a deal, President Trump has "multiple options at his disposal." He also confirmed that Lebanon's sovereign government is speaking directly to Israel for the first time in 30 years, and that Hezbollah is not part of those talks. On frozen Iranian assets, he said no money has been transferred and no agreement has been made. Subscribe to our channel: bit.ly
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