U.S. Secretary of State Begins Gulf Tour to Address Ceasefire Concerns

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a working lunch with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other senior figures on Wednesday as part of a visit to reassure Gulf allies about a deal to end the Iran-U.S. war. The meeting in Abu Dhabi included National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Rubio is scheduled to continue the trip with stops in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Background to the Ceasefire The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last week to extend a fragile ceasefire and work toward a permanent end to more than 100 days of war. Talks are expected to continue for 60 days to address remaining issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.

The United States and Israel launched the war on February 28, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial wave of strikes.

As part of its response, Tehran attacked all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries with varying intensity. The UAE alone faced about 2,800 missiles and drones; Kuwait’s airport, commercial ports and desalination plants were hit; and missile attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City caused significant damage.

Iran also threatened vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in billions of dollars in lost revenues for the GCC nations. >"We want to hear from our partners. " — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 24 Jun 2026 (Al Jazeera) The U.S.-Iran accord includes the resumption of traffic through the strait and the removal of a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.

It remains unclear whether Iran still intends to impose a fee for vessels passing through the strait. Officials stated that the agreement does not address Iran’s ballistic missiles or Tehran’s relations with its regional allies, two issues that remain concerns for Gulf countries.