US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, reaffirming Washington's strategic security commitment to the Gulf nation amid a regional tour focused on the recent US-Iran diplomatic breakthrough.
High-Level Talks on Iran and Regional Security
The meeting, confirmed by Rubio's spokesperson Tommy Pigott, centered on President Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region. "They discussed President Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region," Pigott said. Rubio "reaffirmed the US commitment to the security of the Emirates," he added.
Rubio's Remarks on Iranian Proxies and Lebanon
Speaking to reporters upon arrival in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Rubio stated that lasting peace and stability in West Asia cannot be achieved as long as Iranian-backed proxy groups continue launching attacks across the region. He stressed that discussions over a Lebanon ceasefire are separate from ongoing negotiations with Iran, warning that Iranian proxies operating from Iraq threaten regional security through missile and drone attacks. "You can't have the end of hostilities and conflict in the region as long as Iranian proxies are launching missiles and drones from Iraq and are participating in terrorism," Rubio said.
Regarding Lebanon, Rubio emphasized that any ceasefire arrangement would be negotiated independently of talks concerning Iran. "Well, that process is separate. It's separate because Lebanon is a sovereign country. It has a government. And when it comes to Lebanon and what's happening inside of Lebanon, we're going to negotiate a deal directly with the Lebanese Government," he said. He noted recent conversations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Vice President JD Vance, and that US officials are currently engaged on the ground in Lebanon.
Regional Consultations and Gulf Cooperation Council Engagement
Rubio's three-day visit to the Persian Gulf region, from June 23 to June 25, includes stops in Kuwait and Bahrain. The trip follows initial rounds of technical talks between Iran and the US in Switzerland, which produced a 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at ending regional hostilities. The multi-nation tour is explicitly designed to consult regional allies, including representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as Washington advances discussions with Tehran.
"We're really here to hear from them more than we are to talk," Rubio told reporters, emphasizing that Washington wants to fully account for the economic and security perspectives of its Gulf partners after the weekend talks in Switzerland. He noted that while regional allies support peace efforts, significant challenges remain. "All of them are on board for peace. Obviously, it all depends on the details of that peace as we work through," he said, describing the framework as a work in progress with good groundwork laid over the previous 72 hours.
Reconstruction Fund and Iran's Future Role
Rubio dismissed suggestions that Washington would seek financial contributions from regional partners for a proposed USD 300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, clarifying that such discussions are still "far down the road." On Iran's broader regional role, Rubio concluded that Tehran's leadership faces a fundamental choice between continuing its revolutionary agenda and pursuing a more constructive path. "If Iran's leadership makes a decision that they want to be a country instead of a revolutionary movement that exports terror, they're going to have an opportunity to do incredible things," he said, adding that progress on the activities of Iranian-backed groups remains essential to any future diplomatic breakthroughs.
