Live Update
From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 7, 2025
State Department confirms Rubio to visit Israel during mid-February trip to Mideast

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio waves before his departure at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo on February 6, 2025, en route to Miami. (Mark Schiefelbein/Pool/AFP)
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will pay his first visit to the Middle East this month, a senior State Department official says, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s remarks on relocating Gaza’s population.
Rubio will attend the Munich Security Conference and then visit Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia from February 13-18, the official says.