US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Abu Dhabi on 24 June and said Washington is in close consultation with its Gulf partners as it works to advance a peace framework with Iran, while cautioning that substantial work remains despite what he described as meaningful progress over the preceding several days. The visit came on the heels of weekend talks held in Switzerland.

Key Developments

Rubio was direct about Washington's confidence in what Tehran had agreed to, even as Iranian officials publicly disputed elements of the emerging framework. 'We know what they agreed to,' he told reporters, referring to questions about International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. 'Whatever their internal or domestic politics is, I guess they'll navigate it. But we know what they agreed to do, and now they'll either do it or they won't.'

He added that if Iran follows through, 'the process moves forward,' but warned that if it does not, 'the President will have some decisions to make.' The remarks signal that the Trump administration is holding Iran to specific commitments, even while leaving the nature of those commitments deliberately vague in public.

What the US Said About Gulf Partners

Rubio described the United Arab Emirates as one of Washington's strongest partners and said the bilateral relationship had deepened over the past decade. He framed the Abu Dhabi stop as a listening exercise rather than a briefing. 'We're really here to hear from them more than we are to talk,' he said. 'We want to hear their thoughts, especially in the aftermath of this weekend in Switzerland, and make sure that their views are taken into account in every decision that we make because they're our partners.'

When asked whether Gulf allies back the evolving Iran framework, Rubio said all US partners favour peace but stressed that negotiations remain at an early stage. 'This is an issue that's been going on for 47 years,' he said. 'So the idea that somehow it's going to get solved in a day and a half, I don't think anyone's been selling that.'

On Reconstruction Funds and Economic Incentives

Rubio firmly dismissed suggestions that Washington would press Gulf states to finance a reconstruction fund for Iran. 'No, that's far down the road,' he said, adding that any future economic opportunities would hinge entirely on decisions made by Iran's own leadership and on progress across broader security issues. 'It won't be our investment. It won't be our government money,' he said.

Regional Security and Proxy Groups

On the question of Iranian-backed proxy forces, Rubio said a lasting end to regional hostilities was incompatible with ongoing proxy attacks. 'You can't have the end of hostilities and conflicts in the region as long as Iranian proxies are launching missiles and drones from Iraq and are participating in terrorism like Hamas did and like Hezbollah did,' he said. He also stressed that talks involving Lebanon and Israel should be kept separate from the Iran negotiations, noting that 'the future of Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese people through their sovereign elected government.'

Strait of Hormuz and Freedom of Navigation

Rubio reaffirmed Washington's position that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open under international law, rejecting any suggestion that Iran could levy charges on shipping. 'These are international waterways,' he said. 'No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway.' This comes amid longstanding concerns that Tehran could use the strait as leverage in any breakdown of nuclear diplomacy. The next phase of negotiations is expected to test whether the framework outlined in Switzerland can survive both Iranian domestic politics and regional security complexities.