US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning a Middle East trip this week, with stops expected in Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, Reuters reported, citing Axios.
A separate source told Axios that Rubio is expected to convene a summit with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain. The State Department had not confirmed the trip by the time of publication.
The visit would come at a charged moment in regional diplomacy. The Strait of Hormuz remains a live pressure point, with Iran signalling conditions for its reopening and US forces actively monitoring the waterway. A GCC ministerial gathering would give Washington a multilateral forum to coordinate its Gulf posture at a time when the region is navigating the fallout of the Iran conflict and a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon.
