Rubio to Meet GCC Leaders as IRGC Rejects New Hormuz Shipping Route

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as regional tensions enter their 118th day. The diplomatic mission follows a formal declaration by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejecting the establishment of new maritime transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC Maintains Stance on Hormuz Transit The IRGC issued a statement on Tuesday confirming it would not recognize or facilitate any proposed modifications to existing shipping corridors in the Strait of Hormuz. The rejection complicates international efforts to secure oil and gas shipments passing through the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint, where approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption transits daily. The IRGC’s refusal to accept alternative routing comes amid heightened naval presence in the Gulf and ongoing military friction. Tehran has historically used its influence over the Strait as a strategic lever against international sanctions and Western naval deployments. High-Level US-GCC Security Talks Secretary Rubio’s visit to the region is expected to focus on a unified security response among GCC member states, including…