US-Gulf summit in Bahrain rejects Hormuz tolls

Gulf nations and the US—having spent the past four months in a tense period fraught with uncertainty due to the US-Iran conflict—held a summit yesterday in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, to discuss the post-conflict landscape. The summit, convened at the foreign minister level, was attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio alongside the foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Sultanate of Oman, and Kuwait. While emphasizing the need to guarantee regional security in the aftermath of the conflict, Rubio stated that the US administration would pursue a policy of outreach in the region moving forward. The participating countries adopted a unified stance against the imposition of fees on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Conditional Overture From Rubio

In a speech delivered at the summit, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that his country seeks to establish peaceful relations with Iran in the post-war period. Noting that U.S. President Donald Trump wishes to initiate an outreach process that guarantees the prosperity of Gulf nations, Rubio said, "If Iran abandons the export of its ideology and focuses solely on the well-being of its own people, we are ready to assist Iran." Rubio also emphasized that the agreement reached with Iran safeguards the interests of Gulf states, adding, "The interests of Gulf nations will be a priority in any decisions made during post-agreement negotiations."

Joint Stance on Hormuz

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world's most critical energy supply routes—was a key agenda item at the Manama Summit. The US, Qatar, and the Sultanate of Oman reaffirmed their earlier statements opposing the imposition of transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz, adopting this position as a joint stance shared by the Gulf states and the US. While the Sultanate of Oman announced the opening of a temporary security corridor for passage through the Strait, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani expressed support for Oman's declaration regarding the temporary corridor.

IRAN: We will open the Corridor

Issuing a statement following Oman's announcement, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that the only authorized transit route through the Strait of Hormuz is the one designated by Iran, and that vessels must pass through these routes only in coordination with the navy. Without explicitly mentioning Oman, the statement read: "A new route for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz has been announced by certain authorities. This is unacceptable and extremely dangerous. Necessary measures will be taken against any vessels that violate this."

Senate: Stay there but don't attack

Following its move the previous day to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to launch a new war against Iran, the US Senate adopted a new resolution regarding Iran yesterday. A vote held in the Senate on "withdrawing the military force Washington has deployed against Iran" resulted in rejection. The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine—which would have required the US to withdraw military forces deployed against Iran in the absence of Congressional approval—was defeated by a vote of 50 to 47. Trump had previously leveled harsh criticism at the Senate's earlier decision, characterizing it as "colluding with the enemy."