[Rubio's Visit to the Gulf Defines Red Lines: No Fees Allowed in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. and GCC Joint Statement to Restrict Iranian Missiles and Proxy Forces] BlockBeats News, June 26 – U.S. Secretary of State Rubio concluded his visit to the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain on Thursday. This marks the first high-level diplomatic mediation by the U.S. following last week's U.S.-Iran conflict framework agreement. The core mission was to alleviate Gulf allies' widespread concerns over the temporary ceasefire agreement. After chairing the GCC foreign ministers' plenary meeting in Bahrain, Rubio outlined the U.S. bottom line: no country in the world has the right to charge fees for ships passing through international waterways, and such provisions will not be included in the final peace agreement. He warned that any Iranian threats or interceptions of commercial vessels in the strait would lead to fundamental conflicts. That evening, the U.S. and the six GCC nations issued a joint statement setting rigid standards for achieving long-term peace: the Strait of Hormuz must ensure free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation, with unilateral toll charges prohibited; Iran's ballistic missile and drone production capacity must be properly addressed, and its support for regional proxy forces must be constrained. Oman pledged during the meeting that no additional transit fee projects would be added to future navigation management mechanisms. The core concern of Gulf allies lies in the fact that the U.S.-Iran framework agreement text does not impose upper limits on Iran's missile capabilities. Additionally, the accompanying $300 billion reconstruction fund may potentially be used for military expansion, and several provisions could further solidify Iran's control over global oil shipping routes. Rubio disclosed that the $300 billion reconstruction fund was not discussed during this meeting. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran remain sharply divided in their public statements on several key provisions—Trump claimed that Iran had agreed to accept indefinite nuclear inspections, which Tehran immediately denied. The two sides also provided completely contradictory accounts regarding Iranian financial incentives, control over the strait, and the Israel-Lebanon conflict. The uncertainty surrounding the peace process persists. [Original Link]