Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a pivotal meeting in Manama on Thursday, June 25. Although the US side has been in constant contact with the GCC states since the war began on February 28, this meeting is particularly significant because it was held only days after the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran and the start of talks to achieve a final settlement.
Rubio affirmed that America would not conclude an agreement at the expense of the GCC states, or an agreement that could harm their interests. For this reason, he was keen to hold the meeting in order to hear the positions and concerns of the GCC states collectively, so that they could be taken into account during the negotiations.
The second aim of the meeting was to reaffirm the United States' commitment to the security of the GCC states. This reaffirmation is important in light of contradictory statements from the White House and some members of Congress, as well as conflicting speculation in the American media.
The third aim was to coordinate on other regional questions: Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq...
The Gulf ministers welcomed the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran on June 17, and stressed the need for the GCC states to be present and involved in the final settlement negotiations. There was broad agreement on priorities, the first of which is consolidating the truce and the cessation of hostile actions against GCC states.
The second priority is ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open without obstacles, fees, threats, or the imposition of any state's authority over it- to affirm that freedom of navigation and the right of transit are essential to regional security and the global economy. There was great appreciation for the announcement by the Sultanate of Oman this week that it would prepare safe passage for vessels in the Strait of Hormuz without imposing fees, as well as for the sultanate's efforts to evacuate thousands of stranded sailors. This was a response to claims about Oman in the Iranian media, which the sultanate has denied through the announcement.
The third priority is to prevent Iran from developing or possessing a nuclear weapon, and to address the threats posed by its missile and drone programs.
The fourth priority is addressing the threats posed by Iran's proxies in the region, beginning with Iraq, where pro-Iranian militias carried out around half of all attacks against Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The Gulf responded with denials to media reports about the establishment of a fund for Iran's development or reconstruction, stressing that the GCC states are more entitled to compensation for the damage caused by Iran’s attacks.
Everyone ultimately agreed that the trade and investment commitments contained in the memorandum of understanding with Iran are conditional and reversible. They are contingent on Iran's compliance with the memorandum of understanding and the final agreement, ending its destabilizing behavior and creating the necessary conditions for economic cooperation.
In principle, the Gulf side is not opposed to dialogue or to economic cooperation with Iran. First, it must restore the trust that has been hit by Iran's attacks on GCC states, pledging not to repeat such attacks.
Regarding Syria, the seven countries were unanimous in supporting the Syrian people and helping them build a stable and secure state that takes into account the interests of all components of its society and fully integrates into the region. In response to Israel's declared intentions toward Syria, and to calls for secession and shredding national unity, they affirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. They also agreed to continue working with the Syrian government and to provide assistance in addressing major challenges, such as combating terrorism, restoring basic services, improving the investment climate, and enabling the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons.
The ministers also expressed their full commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty, security, stability, and territorial integrity, in response to Israel's repeated attacks and its occupation of southern Lebanon. They called for consolidating the ceasefire and creating the conditions for the restoration of security and peace in Lebanon, while preserving an independent negotiating track that does not hinge on the outcomes of other conflicts. This was a response to Iran's attempts to link Lebanon's fate to its dispute with the United States.
The ministers called for extending the authority of the Lebanese state over all its territory and for demarcating the borders. They stressed that Lebanese sovereignty cannot be achieved while non-state armed groups retain military capabilities outside the authority of the state. They called for the use of arms to be confined to the Lebanese state and for supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces in achieving this goal.
On Gaza, the ministers renewed their support for the comprehensive plan put forward by President Trump to end the conflict in Gaza, a plan adopted by the UN Security Council through Resolution 2803. Rubio welcomed the support of the GCC states for the Board of Peace, and thanked them for their commitment to ensuring stability and reconstruction in Gaza. The US side reaffirmed that no one would be forced to leave Gaza, and that anyone who wished to leave would have complete freedom to return whenever they wanted.
The ministers stressed the importance of disarming all non-state armed actors for the reconstruction of Gaza and the handover of responsibility to an independent and capable Palestinian civilian authority.***
The US side reaffirmed President Trump's statement in which he declared the United States' opposition to the annexation of the West Bank. All agreed that progress in the reconstruction and development of the Gaza Strip, and in the reform of the Palestinian Authority, would help create the conditions for the Palestinian people to obtain their right to self-determination and establish their independent state.
Of course, the two sides have their differences on some of these issues. However, the Secretary of State affirmed his desire to establish new channels of communication to ensure continued consultation, particularly during the next two months, as the United States works to reach a permanent agreement on outstanding issues with Iran.
The meeting demonstrated the importance of the strategic partnership that the Gulf Cooperation Council established with the United States as an institutional framework in May 2015. Rubio proposed a new communication mechanism that would ensure the continuity of consultations during the critical period ahead, until a final agreement with Iran is reached.
