Rubio heads to the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain as efforts intensify to end the war with Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain this week as the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to end the war with Iran while Gulf countries remain uneasy about a proposed deal.

The State Department announces that Rubio will visit the three countries for bilateral meetings with leaders to discuss the memorandum of understanding reached last week between the US and Iran, weekend talks in Switzerland between senior Iranian and US officials, and security for American allies and partners in the Middle East, including the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio will discuss “regional priorities” and “efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region,” the department says in a statement.

While in Bahrain, Rubio will also meet with Gulf Cooperation Council officials “to discuss shared priorities.”

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