TEHRAN: Iran called the deal it struck to end the Middle East war “a declaration of America’s defeat” yesterday, as the top US diplomat kicked off a tour of Gulf countries hit hardest by Tehran.
The war that began with a massive US-Israeli campaign of strikes against Iran on February 28 ended with the Islamic republic striking an agreement its leaders have sought to portray as a victory.
The conflict sowed chaos in the region, with Tehran retaliating against its foes by blockading a key waterway for energy shipments and launching thousands of drones and missiles at its Gulf neighbours.
The US and Iran signed the agreement last week and launched a process aimed at reaching a permanent settlement — with the Islamic republic’s leadership transformed but the system of rule firmly in place.
The US maintains several military bases across the Middle East, notably in the Gulf where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicked off a tour on Wednesday in a bid to reassure allies.
Rubio arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and was scheduled to hold closed-door talks with its leader, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, before flying to Kuwait and then Bahrain, where he will attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.
Rubio said he intended to discuss the US-Iran memorandum of understanding with Gulf leaders, which does not address Iran’s missile programme and proxies — two long-standing concerns for Gulf nations and Israel.
He insisted that no country is allowed to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz after Oman and Iran, which border the waterway, said they were considering charging “costs” for navigating the key exit route for Gulf oil and gas.
But Iran was defiant, appearing to insist that the Gulf nations might do better by aligning themselves with the Islamic republic instead of with the West.
Iran’s chief negotiator also reiterated that peace in Lebanon, which was drawn into the war when Tehran-backed Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel, was a fundamental pillar of reaching a definitive agreement with the US.
In Lebanon, where Iran insisted a fragile ceasefire now in place was a precondition for a broader agreement, people in areas worst affected by Israeli bombing were struggling to clear rubble from their streets. – AFP
