US Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a three-day tour of Gulf Arab states on Thursday with a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain, having sought to reassure Washington’s partners that their security interests would not be sacrificed in negotiations with Iran. The visit, which included stops in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, followed a preliminary US-Iran memorandum of understanding that halted direct hostilities but left unresolved the status of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s ballistic missile programme, and the scope of nuclear inspections. According to US officials, the talks with Gulf leaders were designed to ensure “complete alignment” on every decision made during the 60-day negotiating period that the framework agreement established.

Viewed from Gulf capitals, the interim deal has generated private disappointment, diplomats told Agence France-Presse, because it did not address long-standing concerns about Iran’s missile capabilities and regional proxies, which struck several Gulf states during the conflict. The proposed creation of a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, mentioned in the memorandum, has also prompted unease, with some officials in the region questioning whether it could indirectly finance a military rebuild. Rubio stated in Kuwait that he would not ask allies to contribute to such a fund during this trip, even though the text of the understanding suggests regional countries would bear at least part of the cost. Gulf states are also watching the parallel US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah remains a central factor; Rubio said a key objective was enabling the Lebanese armed forces to assert control over the country’s territory.

Iranian negotiators have publicly framed the initial agreement as a declaration of America’s defeat. Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, described the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as the result of Iranian “resistance and authority.” On the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has repeatedly stated its intention to maintain control alongside Oman and to levy what it calls maritime service fees on transiting vessels. US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that Iran had committed to no tolls, insurance costs, or other charges, but did not specify whether that commitment would extend beyond the 60-day negotiating window. Rubio insisted that no country supported tolling the waterway, while a diplomat confirmed that Qatar’s prime minister had travelled to Oman to initiate regional talks on the strait, with Gulf countries expected to push for toll-free navigation and Iran likely to request environmental and security fees.

Technical talks between US and Iranian experts are scheduled to resume in the coming days, with working groups addressing multiple subjects, according to Rubio. A separate diplomatic track on reconciliation between Gulf countries and Iran is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia, though no date has been set. The dossier remains open on several fronts: the US administration has requested an additional $87.6 billion in funding, largely to replenish resources expended during the war, while Iran’s leadership has linked a definitive agreement to a durable ceasefire in Lebanon. The GCC meeting in Manama is expected to produce a coordinated Gulf position ahead of the next round of US-Iran negotiations.