US promises to protect Gulf states' interests in Iran talks
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani receives US Secretary of State Marco Rubio upon arrival at Bahrain International Airport near Manama on June 24, 2026, during Rubio's visit to the Middle East to discuss the interim deal between the US and Iran with Arab Gulf allies. (AFP)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised the United States' Gulf allies that Washington would protect their interests as it seeks to hammer out a final settlement of the Middle East war in talks with Iran.
Rubio was on a regional tour to reassure the Gulf states, which were targeted by Tehran's missiles and drones during the conflict and saw their crucial oil and gas shipments effectively cut off by an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has emerged emboldened from the war, vowing not to relinquish control of the vital waterway and going so far as to call its initial deal with Washington to stop the fighting "a declaration of America's defeat".
