The US and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) issued a joint statement following their foreign ministers meeting in Manama, Bahrain yesterday that reflects almost entirely the US narrative on Iran. It doesn’t even acknowledge that it was the US and Israel that started the war with an unprovoked aggressive attack against Iran in the first place, or that the tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are entirely the result of that aggressive war.
The ministers welcomed the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the presidents of the U.S. and Iran on June 17, and “stressed the need to maintain momentum and unity as negotiations proceed toward a more permanent end to hostilities and the shared objective of preventing Iran from ever developing or otherwise acquiring a nuclear weapon,” the statement says. “The Ministers further emphasized that lasting regional peace and security requires addressing the full spectrum of Iran’s threats, including its ballistic missiles, drones, and support of proxies in the region. The Ministers also emphasized the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, noting that free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation, including the right of transit passage as guaranteed under international law, remains essential to regional and global security. The Ministers rejected any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control over the Strait and welcomed the Sultanate of Oman and the International Maritime Organization’s announcement on the launch of an evacuation plan for over 11,000 seafarers stranded in the region. The Ministers further emphasized that any trade and investment with Iran is conditional and reversible, contingent on Iran’s compliance with the MOU and the final deal, cessation of its destabilizing behavior, and creation of the conditions necessary for economic engagement.”
