US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday declared that Washington remains in full alignment with its Gulf partners on any prospective agreement with Iran, pledging that no deal would be struck that compromises the security of America's longstanding regional allies. Rubio made the remarks to reporters at Kuwait International Airport following a series of high-level meetings across the Gulf.

Security Assurances Are 'Real, Not Promises'

Rubio pushed back firmly against any suggestion that Gulf states harbour doubts about US security guarantees, pointing to decades of military cooperation as the foundation of those ties. 'We have existing relationships with these countries that go back many, many decades. We have troop presence in these countries. We have assets in these countries,' he said.

'I didn't sense any doubts about our security assurances, because they're real. They're not promises; they're actual. They exist,' Rubio added, framing the US military footprint in the region as a structural commitment rather than a diplomatic formality.

Hormuz Toll Proposal Rejected Outright

Responding to reports that Gulf countries may have discussed an Iranian proposal to introduce a payment mechanism for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio dismissed the idea categorically. 'I think the whole world will be against any mechanism that charges money to use an international waterway,' he said. 'When we mean open the straits, we mean open the straits free, and international waterways.' The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply transits, making any toll mechanism a matter of acute international concern.

Iran Sanctions Waiver: A 60-Day Window

Rubio defended the administration's decision to temporarily waive certain oil sanctions on Iran, describing it as a time-bound element of the broader negotiated process following the memorandum of understanding reached in Switzerland. 'This is a temporary measure. It's for 60 days,' he said, warning that Tehran must honour the commitments it made during the Switzerland talks. 'If they don't live up to those commitments, the President has a lot of options at his disposal, including reversing these sanctions,' Rubio said. On the question of when international nuclear inspectors should be permitted back into Iran, he was unequivocal: 'As soon as possible. That's a commitment they made, and it's one they need to keep.'

Technical Talks to Resume Next Week

Rubio confirmed that technical-level negotiations between the two sides would resume the following week, with specialist working groups from the State Department and the Department of Energy involved in discussions covering sanctions relief and nuclear matters. This comes amid continued international scrutiny of whether the Switzerland memorandum can serve as a durable framework for a wider agreement.

Israel, Lebanon, and Broader Regional Agenda

Rubio rejected reports suggesting Israel was seeking to undermine the current memorandum of understanding with Iran. 'I don't know where you're getting that stuff from. We're working on this. The Israelis exactly know what we're working on,' he said, adding that all parties are aware of 'the President's red lines and positions.' On Lebanon, Rubio said US-mediated talks aimed to strengthen the authority of the Lebanese Government and its armed forces so they could gradually assume control of areas currently affected by conflict with Hezbollah. 'We want to see a Lebanon that's in the control of their legitimate government,' he said, cautioning that 'this is not going to happen overnight.' He also reaffirmed US support for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Sudan through a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a lasting peace settlement.