US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure allies in the Persian Gulf that Washington would continue to be ‘fully coordinated’ with regional partners whilst technical talks continue on a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking in Kuwait on 24 June during a tour of the Gulf states, Rubio emphasised that the United States “has no intention of doing anything that would undermine the security of our allies” as the talks progress.
Rubio noted that technical negotiators would resume talks later this month, likely in Switzerland, to work out the details of implementing the agreement.
“If Iran wants to strike a good and genuine deal, the United States is ready for that,” he said, warning that President Donald Trump still has “options” should diplomatic efforts fail.
His trip to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain comes against a backdrop of concerns among some Gulf governments that the proposed deal is too lenient towards Tehran.
The memorandum, which is the first agreement of its kind signed by the US and Iranian presidents since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, provides for the creation of a $300 billion fund for Iran’s post-war reconstruction and the easing of certain sanctions.