US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Middle East tour and Iran peace‑deal briefing request

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to the Gulf next week, with planned stops in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. The itinerary includes participation in a Gulf Cooperation Council foreign‑ministers summit in Bahrain, aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties, regional security cooperation and energy‑policy dialogue.

Rubio also discussed the upcoming round of Lebanese‑Israeli talks in Washington, following a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun who urged a comprehensive cease‑fire as a basis for direct negotiations. Hezbollah’s leader condemned the Israeli campaign in Lebanon, while U.N. officials welcomed reports of a cease‑fire.

In parallel, top Democratic members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Armed Services committees have written to Rubio demanding an immediate briefing to Congress on the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran that ends the three‑month war. The letter seeks details on sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic‑missile limits and the 60‑day cease‑fire period. The MoU was signed by President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Versailles after a war that killed 14 U.S. service members and disrupted global oil and food markets.