U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Bahraini leaders that the United States will ensure that none of the decisions made as part of the final agreement in the peace deal between Washington and Tehran “will counter the interests of our allies and partners.”
“We are open for peace that is enduring and real and doesn’t undermine the security and prosperity of the U.S. or its allies,” Rubio told a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain on Thursday, where he was to sell the country on the peace deal to end the Middle East conflict.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps warned against unauthorized crossings of the Strait of Hormuz, threatening that non-compliant vessels “will be dealt with.” The military guard also criticized a new route through the strait after a Liberian oil tanker made its way out using a route close to the shore in Oman.
Iran Warns of Unauthorized Crossing of Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps are warning against unauthorized crossings of the Strait of Hormuz, stating non-compliant vessels “will be dealt with” while also criticizing a new route through the waterway. Iran said it plans on imposing maritime service fees in the future, instead of tolls, while the U.S. argued it’s an international waterway and passage shouldn’t be subject to charges, per Al Jazeera.
“The only authorized route for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is the route announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday. Any unauthorized crossing is “unacceptable and extremely dangerous,” they warned. They also denounced what they said was a new route through the waterway announced by “certain authorities,” without elaborating.
The warning comes after a Liberian oil tanker made its way out of the strait on Thursday using a route close to Oman’s shore.
Rubio: Iran Deal Will Respect Interests of Allies, Partners
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will ensure that none of the decisions made as part of the final agreement in the peace deal between Washington and Tehran “will counter the interests of our allies and partners.”
“We are open for peace that is enduring and real and doesn’t undermine the security and prosperity of the U.S. or its allies,” Rubio told a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain, where he was on Thursday to sell the country on the peace deal to end the Middle East conflict, per Times of Israel.
Rubio warned Iranian tolls on ships going through the Strait of Hormuz would spread to other waterways, which risks “total chaos.” “International waterways do not belong to any nation (or) state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without which the world would be in total chaos,” said Rubio. “If, in fact, we accepted that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be near your territorial space, well then this will spread throughout the world like a contagion.”
Rubio said the U.S. wants a deal with Iran, but not at any price. He also rejects Iranian attempts to collect what it describes as service fees and not tolls, saying that “at the end of the day, it’s all semantics.”
Israeli Soldier Killed in Southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said a soldier was killed the previous day in southern Lebanon, where clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah have been ongoing despite a ceasefire. The military said Master Sergeant Basil Sweid, 32, a driver, “fell during operational activity.” He was killed when his vehicle overturned, a spokesperson told AFP.
The military said 37 soldiers and one civilian contractor have been killed in southern Lebanon since fighting with Hezbollah erupted in early March.
