US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of the Gulf states issued a joint statement backing the disarmament of all militias outside state control in Lebanon — a direct blow to Hezbollah’s claim that it can remain an armed power above the Lebanese government.

The statement also backed negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, while stressing that diplomacy with Iran must continue in order to end the war and prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But the ministers made clear that peace in the region cannot be limited to the nuclear file alone.

According to the statement, any real regional settlement must confront Iran’s wider threats: drones, missiles, support for terror proxies, attacks by Iraqi groups against neighboring states, and attempts to control or tax shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The ministers also warned that investment in Iran should depend on a final agreement — not on promises or partial understandings.