KUWAIT CITY — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged Wednesday that Washington will not take actions that weaken the security of its Gulf allies as he seeks to soothe regional concerns over a newly signed U.S.-Iran accord. Speaking to reporters in Kuwait City before traveling to Bahrain, Rubio said the United States will remain “completely aligned” with its partners in the Gulf and affirmed efforts to reassure longstanding allies.
Rubio, on a tour of three Gulf states, met Kuwaiti officials after talks earlier in the day with the United Arab Emirates’ leadership. The visits come after last week’s memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, the first such agreement between U.S. and Iranian presidents since 1979, which includes a proposed $300 billion fund and partial sanctions waivers.
The memorandum has prompted criticism from Democrats and hawkish Republicans, who view it as too conciliatory toward a country that has clashed with Gulf states. Rubio said the U.S. remains open to a “good and real deal” with Iran but stressed that other options remain if Tehran fails to cooperate. He added that technical teams are resuming implementation talks at month’s end, with another round likely to take place in Switzerland.