TEHRAN, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday dismissed the U.S. claim of an "enduring commitment to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) security" as mere "rhetoric and a distortion of reality."

This photo taken on Feb. 20, 2026 shows a city view of Tehran, Iran. (File photo: Xinhua)

The claim was made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a U.S.-GCC joint statement issued after their ministerial meeting in the Bahraini capital Manama on Thursday.

In response, the ministry said in a statement that U.S. military presence in GCC countries is merely a "burden on regional nations and a cause of insecurity and division."

It said the U.S. use of bases in regional states to commit "the crime of aggression" against Iran during the 40-day war proved Washington places no value on those states' security or mutual relations.

It reminded GCC countries of their "explicit obligation" in accordance with international law and the principle of good neighborliness to prevent any use by third parties of their territories and facilities to plan, organize and support "military aggression" against Iran.

Also on Friday, Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned in a statement against Israeli military aircraft's "movements" in some neighboring states' airspace, calling those "a dangerous action and a threat" against Iran.

It did not provide further details on the movements.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran retaliated with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. regional assets, while tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz to bar Israeli- and U.S.-linked vessels.

On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, following which they have started negotiations on a final agreement.