Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Gulf Arab leaders on Wednesday, seeking to reassure them about a preliminary U.S.-Iran deal that has left some of their most pressing concerns unresolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to be completely aligned with our partners in the Gulf,\u201d Mr. Rubio told reporters in Kuwait City. \u201cIt\u2019s the reason why I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n
But as he headed to Bahrain for a Thursday meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Mr. Rubio is sure to field numerous questions from anxious Arab leaders about the state of U.S. negotiations with Iran.<\/p>\n
With Mr. Rubio in the midst of a three-stop Gulf trip, President Trump said on social media that Iran had assured Washington it was neither seeking nor collecting tolls from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas shipping route. The issue is of great concern worldwide, and Mr. Rubio has said any collection of tolls or fees by Iran would violate international norms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe president\u2019s already said it, that\u2019s not going to happen,\u201d Mr. Rubio said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate comment from Iranian officials, who have asserted a right to charge ships<\/a> for passage through the critical waterway.<\/p>\n Although Gulf Arab leaders want answers to security questions raised by Mr. Trump\u2019s preliminary agreement with Iran, they have embraced the cease-fire, following a war that damaged their infrastructure and shook their economies. But Israeli leaders oppose the agreement and have continued attacks against the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, drawing angry objections from Tehran.<\/p>\n American, Israeli and Lebanese officials met on Wednesday in Washington to continue talks aimed in part at finding a way for Lebanon\u2019s weak central government to assert control over the country\u2019s south, where Hezbollah operates, and allow for an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the area.<\/p>\n Mr. Rubio on Wednesday defended Israel, saying that it was merely warding off Hezbollah rocket attacks across its border with Lebanon. \u201cIf Hezbollah wasn\u2019t launching against them, they wouldn\u2019t be there,\u201d Mr. Rubio told reporters.<\/p>\n Mr. Rubio began his travels on Wednesday by meeting with the Emirati leader, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, in Abu Dhabi. The two spoke about Iran and commerce between the United States and the Emirates, the State Department said in a summary. Mr. Trump\u2019s son-in-law, Michael Boulos, a businessman with no official government position, sat beside Mr. Rubio<\/a> at the meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was just there to see me and catch up,\u201d Mr. Rubio said. When asked whether Mr. Boulos was involved in policy discussions, the secretary said, \u201cNo, no.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Rubio\u2019s diplomatic trip followed the latest round of negotiations<\/a> between American and Iranian officials in Switzerland on turning the initial accord signed last week into a lasting deal to end the war.<\/p>\n Mr. Rubio told reporters that he expected a \u201ctechnical group\u201d to return to Switzerland next Tuesday for more discussions.<\/p>\n In retaliation for the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and subsequent attacks, Iranian forces fired missiles and drones at Arab countries across the region, some of which have U.S. bases and military assets.<\/p>\n Some Gulf Arab states, which have long relied on American security partnerships, were frustrated<\/a> that the preliminary agreement did not address Iran\u2019s missile or drone programs, an omission that has fueled a broader reassessment of their relationship<\/a> with the United States.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make sure that their views are taken into account, and we understand their security concerns, their regional economic concerns as well,\u201d Mr. Rubio said<\/a> after arriving in Abu Dhabi late on Tuesday.<\/p>\n President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran said on Tuesday that curbs on his country\u2019s missile capabilities would never be a part of a peace agreement.<\/p>\n Oil prices have tumbled since the preliminary deal was signed, but remain higher than before the war.<\/p>\n Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> has increased. Kpler, a maritime data firm, said on Wednesday that thirty-one ships had passed through the critical waterway a day earlier, still far below the prewar norm of about 130 per day.<\/p>\n Iran has previously discussed with Oman the idea of charging passing ships service fees<\/a>, a proposal that has angered the United States.<\/p>\n In another social media post<\/a> on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said that Iran had assured the U.S. that \u201cNO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND\u201d were being sought or collected from ships. \u201cIf this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!\u201d<\/p>\n The latest threat to withdraw from the fragile peace process was a stark reminder that the negotiations remained vulnerable to unresolved disputes, including Israel\u2019s conflict with Hezbollah<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speaking in Azerbaijan on Wednesday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s parliamentary speaker and the head of the country\u2019s negotiating team, called the preliminary agreement \u201cAmerica\u2019s declaration of defeat.\u201d<\/p>\n His triumphalist rhetoric appeared to be aimed, in part, at heading off criticism from Iranian hard-liners who oppose negotiations with Washington.<\/p>\n