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Moments after the United States and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers jointly called for curbing Tehran's nuclear programme, Iran on Friday slammed the two sides, describing the remarks as "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative".
In a statement released by Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and carried by state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Tehran warned against what it called continued "belligerent and interventionist behaviours" in the region. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran considered the positions contained in the joint statement of the US Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council - dated June 25, 2026 - as interventionist, irresponsible and provocative and warned against the continuation of belligerent and interventionist behaviours in the region," the statement read, as quoted by IRIB. The Iranian reaction came after the US-GCC ministerial meeting held in Manama on June 25, co-chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, who is the current chairman of the GCC Ministerial Council. In their joint statement, the US and GCC foreign ministers welcomed the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the hostilities in West Asia, while stressing the need to continue negotiations towards a permanent end to hostilities and preventing Iran from developing or acquiring a nuclear weapon. The ministers also called for addressing what they described as the full spectrum of threats linked to Iran, including its ballistic missile programme, drones and support for regional proxy groups. "They 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 Ministers further emphasised that lasting regional peace and security require addressing the full spectrum of Iran's threats, including its ballistic missiles, drones, and support of proxies in the region," the statement read. The joint statement further emphasised the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying free and unrestricted navigation under international law was essential for regional and global security. The statement rejected any tolls, fees or attempts to assert control over the strategic waterway. The US-GCC statement also said that economic engagement with Iran would remain conditional and reversible, depending on Tehran's compliance with the MoU and any final agreement, as well as changes in its regional policies. (ANI)
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