Rubio heads to UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain to discuss Iran deal with Gulf allies
- Last updated: June 22, 2026 | 19:41
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel on Tuesday through Thursday to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, on a trip that will give the Trump administration a chance to sell its preliminary Iran accord directly to Gulf Arab allies.
While in Bahrain, Rubio will also meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Monday.
Details of Rubio's trip, such as the precise timing of his visits to the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain and the list of leaders and officials he is due to meet, were not immediately available.
In the statement, Pigott, the State Department spokesperson, said Rubio, who also serves as the White House national security advisor, would "discuss a range of regional priorities including the memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region."
The Rubio trip comes amid a broader flurry of Iran-related diplomacy.
On Wednesday, Trump signed the Iran MoU - which starts a 60-day clock for Washington and Tehran to reach a more comprehensive agreement - while visiting French President Emmanuel Macron in Versailles.
Over the weekend, a team of US negotiators led by Vice President JD Vance attended talks mediated by Qatari and Pakistani officials in Switzerland. The first round of those talks concluded on Monday, and technical discussions are expected to continue through the week.
Reuters