Rubio's Mideast trip to focus on countering Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip to the Middle East will heavily focus on countering the destabilizing activities of Iran and its proxies, as well as securing the release of hostages held by Hamas, the State Department announced.

Rubio's itinerary includes stops in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates from February 15-18, following participation in the Munich Security Conference and G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting starting February 13.

The State Department emphasized that discussions with senior officials will center on advancing regional cooperation, stability, and peace,with a key component being addressing the threat posed by Iran.

“The trip will center on freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to Phase II of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and countering the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies.”

On February 4, Trump signed a directive reviving his so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran from his first term aimed at driving the Islamic Republic's oil exports to zero. After signing the memorandum, he said he would prefer a deal with Tehran to an Israeli attack on their nuclear sites.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted on Wednesday that the country would not yield to external threats after US President Donald Trump mooted the bombing of its adversary earlier this week.