Secretary Rubio tells Gulf partners U.S. commitment is tangible as Iran talks continue; oil waiver is temporary

Secretary Rubio said the United States demonstrated concrete security assurances to Gulf partners as negotiations with Iran continue and repeated that a recently issued waiver of oil sanctions is a temporary, 60-day measure.

Rubio told reporters that U.S. commitments are grounded in longstanding relationships and on-the-ground capabilities: "We have people there; we have people on the ground constantly working with them. We have air defenses embedded with them. We’ve got aircraft in these countries," he said, adding that these are "not promises; they’re actual. They exist." He said the discussions with Gulf partners were frank and that the United States will remain aligned with those partners in decisions related to the negotiation.

On the waiver, Rubio confirmed the measure covers 60 days and framed it as part of the give-and-take of negotiations: "For 60 days," he said when asked about the waiver. He added that the measure is temporary, that the administration expects Iran to live up to commitments it made in Switzerland, and that the President "has a lot of options at his disposal," including reversing the waiver, if Iran does not comply.

Reporters asked whether a mechanism floated by Iran to charge for use of an international waterway would complicate matters; Rubio said he expected Gulf Cooperation Council members to oppose any tolling of the straits and said the President had been clear the straits must remain open and free.

Rubio also said nuclear inspectors should be allowed into Iran "as soon as possible," repeating the administration’s public stance that inspections are a commitment Iran must keep. He described ongoing negotiation work broken into technical work streams and said technical groups are expected to reconvene around the end of the month, though he cautioned reporters not to "exactly quote" the tentative date.

On questions about whether the President’s tough public comments — including threats of force described by reporters — complicate negotiations, Rubio said they do not and reiterated that a verifiable deal is necessary; he emphasized enforcement options, such as sanctions, remain available.

On consular matters, Rubio said the U.S. raises wrongful detentions "in every forum" and that an office dedicated to wrongfully detained Americans handles these cases; he declined to discuss specifics because doing so could complicate individual cases.

The session closed after reporters asked a few additional regional questions and a moderator thanked attendees. The briefing transcript does not specify the exact date of this exchange.