U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun a three-day diplomatic tour of the Middle East aimed at reassuring Gulf allies who oppose parts of the new interim agreement with Iran. The trip starts in the United Arab Emirates and continues to Kuwait, and it is Rubio’s first high-level diplomatic mission since the deal was reached last week to end a four-month military confrontation.
As part of the administration’s decision, Rubio left Israel off the itinerary entirely, despite objections in Jerusalem over concessions made to Tehran. The apparent calculation in Washington is that the U.S. government knows Israel’s position well and does not expect Rubio to persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team to support the agreement.
The visit comes as the U.S. Senate approved a resolution instructing President Donald Trump to halt military actions against the Iranian government. Rubio himself has been only minimally visible in the recent diplomacy with Iran, while Vice President J.D. Vance led the decisive round of talks in Switzerland over the weekend.
After arriving in Abu Dhabi, Rubio was asked whether he would address the unease of regional partners and replied, “It will definitely come up in these discussions.” He also said the parties would discuss additional details not included in the formal memorandum of understanding.
Gulf states have reacted with skepticism and frustration, especially over what they see as overly generous rewards for a common regional adversary. Their main objection centers on a planned Iranian reconstruction fund worth about $300 billion, which they fear could help Tehran rebuild its military. The deal also leaves out any restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program, and it does not address missiles or drones, a gap that alarms Gulf monarchies that were directly hit during months of fighting. The attacks caused civilian casualties and hurt local economies as foreign workers fled. Concern has deepened after reports that Iran set up covert cells in Iraq that carried out at least seven drone attacks in April and May against targets in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
