Rubio’s Gulf tour was less a diplomatic triumph and more a reassurance mission, exposing Washington’s growing anxiety over losing its traditional partners. The Gulf is not abandoning America, but in a multipolar world, it is no longer willing to keep all its eggs in one basket.
The Iranian threat is on one side, but the US’s reluctance or failure to protect its decades-long Gulf allies shifted the entire regional strategic perspective. Just like Europe, the call for greater strategic autonomy is now on the Gulf’s tables. Thus, to reduce the levels of these skepticisms towards the US and to make sure the allies of their security partnership with the US, Secretary of State Marco Rubio paid a two-day visit to three GCC countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
Changing Gulf Sentiments
The Gulf no longer wishes to put all its eggs in one basket. The debate of changing Gulf sentiments has become old; rather, the perspective has already been changed. Now, it does not mean anti-Americanization; rather, it means the diversification of their security partnerships. Since the 1980s, the Gulf countries have been under the American security umbrella. However, the recent Iran war not only curbed the so-called American security monopoly in the region but also created fissures in the US-GCC alliance. The US conducted strikes against Iran on 28 February 2026, knowing the fact that both countries were negotiating under Oman’s mediation. The post-war Middle East is now standing at a very critical point: the strait, which was already open before the war, now faces immediate closures; Iran now holds more leverage, and the Gulf states can no longer rely on a single security provider.
Abdullah Banndar Al Etaibi, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Qatar University, while commenting on the changing sentiments in the region, also said, “When it comes to the US, there is definitely some sort of frustration with the US decision, as there were discussions and negotiations taking place with the Omani mediation, but then the US preferred to go to hard power and to strike Iran. And just bringing the whole region into more chaos. So, these dynamics are very frustrating to the regional countries because they are stuck in the middle. They just woke up and just found their region being the battlefield where everyone is just using the GCC, the Strait of Hormuz, and everything in the region as a bargaining chip to win a better deal.”
Rubio-GCC Meeting
Between June 23-25, 2026, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made visits to three GCC countries, namely the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain, which was the first visit by him following the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding with Iran. The fact that a hegemon courts its allies usually means that its monopoly over them is coming to an end. Rubio came with a message of reassurance to U.S. allies that had been targeted by Iranian drones and missiles but were largely left out of ongoing U.S.-Iran peace talks. He stated, “There is no part of this deal that’s undertaken that in any way undermines the security, stability, or prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region.” This reassurance is, in fact, the biggest proof that the Gulf strategic circles are now diversifying their partnerships beyond the US, and their reliance on American security is reducing.
Another point to be noted here is that two of the countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, are already a part of the Abraham Accords. Rubio basically visited to avoid any skepticism in this regard. Moreover, during the visit, Rubio issued a stark warning to Iran, stating, “International waterways do not belong to any nation-state. If, in fact, we accepted that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be near your territorial space, well then, this will spread throughout the world like a contagion.” See who is talking about international law. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has been explicitly violating international law. Even President Trump is himself against the liberal world order and globalization. Those who abducted the Venezuelan president are now giving lectures on international norms to Iran.
Outcomes of the Meeting
To a large extent, the visit made by Marco Rubio to GCC countries could be considered successful. Not because the US did something extraordinary, but because of the stubbornness of the Gulf countries. After facing an intense 108 days of war, it seems like the Gulf countries haven’t learned any lesson. Although there is some kind of frustration there, these countries are reluctant to compromise their partnership with the US. Instead, they have once again criticized Iran. In a joint statement, the ministers stressed that lasting peace and security in the region can only be achieved by tackling the entire range of Iran’s threats, which include ballistic missiles, drones, and proxy support in the region. In addition, Oman’s support for the GCC narrative was another major outcome of the meeting.
Initially, reports were emerging that both Iran and Oman are now coordinating to control the Strait of Hormuz as per their rules. However, as of 24th June 2026, Oman declared the creation of a temporary maritime passage for ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. The decision taken by the GCC has been condemned by Iran since it has developed its own passage to sail through the strait. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has openly criticized the US-GCC joint statement. Esmaeil Baghaei recently commented, “Gulf states were making a mistake in seeking protection from the greatest violator of security.” And what the ultimate outcome of this was: Iran has once again started attacking GCC countries, including Bahrain and Kuwait. The already fragile memorandum has witnessed its first violation.
Conclusion
Rubio’s visit to GCC countries was more than a foreign visit. Rather, it was the acknowledgment of the new realities developing in the region. No longer does the question arise as to whether the Gulf needs America. Rather, it is whether America is still indispensable in a region that has other options available to it. Empires decline when they begin losing their friends. No doubt, the region is not witnessing a complete de-Americanization, but it is also a matter of fact that the US no longer enjoys its past position of eminence. In the modern multipolar world, even the traditional partners keep another number in their contact list.
Taut Bataut is a researcher and writer who publishes on South Asian geopolitics
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