Rubio to visit UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain to discuss Iran deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain this week to discuss regional security following a memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran, the State Department announced Monday.

In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that Rubio’s trip, which will take place on June 23–25, will focus on “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.”

In Bahrain, Rubio is scheduled to meet representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to discuss shared regional priorities and cooperation on key issues affecting Gulf states, Pigott added.

The visit would mark one of the highest-level US engagements with Gulf states since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last week, launching a 60-day negotiating process aimed at ending the four-month war that was initiated by the US and Israel against Iran.