NewzVille Desk
The United States and Iran continue to clash over the terms of a potential agreement, despite earlier indications of a framework aimed at ending the conflict. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended a Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers’ meeting in Manama, Bahrain.
At the opening session, Rubio assured that the interests of Gulf countries would be taken into account during negotiations with Iran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said,”We want to ensure that there is no part of this deal that in any way undermines the security, stability, or prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region.”
Rubio’s three-day Gulf tour is the first high-level diplomatic mission since the US and Iran agreed on a memorandum of understanding to extend their ceasefire and hold talks to end the war. Earlier on Wednesday, he held talks with the United Arab Emirates and the Kuwaiti leadership before flying to Bahrain.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iranian tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz could spread to other waterways, risking “total chaos.”
Rubio said,”The first is the Strait of Hormuz is international waters. International waterways do not belong to any nation state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without which the world would be in total chaos.”
In another major development, Oman has established temporary maritime corridors in coordination with the International Maritime Organization to help ships leave the area safely amid heightened security risks.
On Thursday, Oman’s top diplomat said no transit fees would be imposed in the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement came after Muscat and Tehran, which border the key waterway, said they were discussing transit fees.
Setting the stage for another fight with lawmakers already frustrated with the conflict, the Trump administration has asked the US Congress for $87.6 billion in additional funding, most of it tied to the ongoing war with Iran.
The White House is seeking approval for the package, which it describes as urgent needs related to the conflict.
The request comes just a day after Congress passed a resolution rebuking the military action.
According to the administration, the bulk of the funding, which is around $67 billion, would go to the Department of Defence to support ongoing operations.
However, the proposal is expected to face an uphill battle on Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, an Israeli drone strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed two people on Thursday, Lebanese security and medical sources said.
It marks the second consecutive day of such incidents, after a similar strike on Wednesday killed at least two people despite a ceasefire.
Besides, Senior Israeli and Lebanese officials have denied that Israel has withdrawn from occupied southern Lebanon, rejecting claims made by a US official that a partial pullback had taken place as a goodwill gesture.
