You cannot remove rust without hurting the seasoning

You can’t.

Rust and seasoning are enemies. Seasoning is a thin layer of polymerized oil. Rust is iron oxide that forms when that layer fails. To get the rust off, you need something abrasive—steel wool, a chainmail scrubber, or a vinegar soak. All of those will also strip or damage the seasoning.

If the rust is just surface-level and flaky, you might be able to scrub it off with coarse salt and oil, then re-season over it. But that only works if the seasoning underneath is still intact. In most cases, the rust has already eaten through the seasoning, so you’re patching a busted foundation.

Best move: scrub the rust off with steel wool or a vinegar bath (50/50 water/vinegar for