MANAMA — Iran's Foreign Ministry on June 26, 2026, condemned a joint statement issued by the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as "interventionist, irresponsible, and provocative." The communique, released June 25 following talks in Manama, Bahrain, addressed Iran's nuclear program, regional influence, and the Strait of Hormuz.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani co-chaired the discussions with foreign ministers from Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The joint statement welcomed a June 17 memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran but stipulated that any trade and investment with Iran would be conditional and reversible. It also reaffirmed the objective of preventing Iran from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons.

The communique called for addressing Iran's ballistic missiles, drones, and support of proxies to achieve lasting regional peace and security. It rejected any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz, stating that free and unrestricted navigation is essential for regional and global security. Additionally, the statement asserted that full Lebanese sovereignty relies on the disarmament of non-state armed groups and the restoration of the Lebanese state's monopoly of force. It welcomed ongoing bilateral negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, facilitated by the United States.

Iran's Foreign Ministry accused Washington and its Gulf allies of using diplomacy to pressure Tehran. The ministry stated that the communique distorted regional realities and reiterated US and Israeli positions regarding Iran's nuclear program, missile capabilities, regional allies, and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also claimed that the US and Israel had fabricated accusations about its peaceful nuclear program in public remarks and urged GCC states to collaborate with Iran to establish a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East.

Esmaeil Baghaei, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, stated, "Iran's national security and dignity are matters that brook no compromise or condition; just as the inherent right to legitimate self-defense is not open to discussion, the means of this defense cannot be subject to bargaining or concession with any party." Tehran also noted that the use of regional bases during recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran indicated that Washington did not value the security of its Gulf partners. Iran called on regional states that allowed their territory to be used during the conflict to reconsider their stance, citing obligations under international law and the principle of good neighborliness to prevent hostile acts against Iran.

Iran criticized the US-GCC statement for labeling Palestinian and Lebanese resistance groups as "Iranian proxies." It also attributed disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz to direct US and Israeli military action, emphasizing that the strait lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. Iran stated that its future management of the Strait would be governed by Article 5 of the recently signed memorandum of understanding. The 14-point MoU specifies that Iran "will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz."

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, said, "Any credible framework must be based on coordination with Iran and the provisions of paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Otherwise, the outcome will be the suspension of the designated parallel route." Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, remarked, "These political minors of the periphery should not be comforted by commissioned statements; know this, your survival feeds off the scraps of this table. In the great realignment, peripheral minor players have no seat at the table. They are eliminated, and their strategic survival is at the mercy of Tehran's tolerance."