US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday as he began a tour of Gulf countries that were among the hardest hit by Iranian attacks during the recent Middle East war.
Rubio arrived in Abu Dhabi late on Tuesday and was due to hold closed-door talks with the UAE leader before travelling to Kuwait and Bahrain. He is also expected to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain on Thursday.
The visit is widely seen as a show of support for the three Gulf states, which were targeted by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones during the conflict.
Speaking before the meetings, the US secretary of state said he planned to discuss the recently signed US-Iran memorandum of understanding with Gulf leaders. The agreement does not address Iran's missile programme or its network of regional proxy groups, issues that have long been among the main security concerns of Gulf governments.
Rubio also rejected any suggestion that countries bordering the Strait of Hormuz could impose charges on vessels using the strategic waterway. His comments came after Oman and Iran indicated they were considering levying "costs" on ships passing through the route, a critical export corridor for Gulf oil and gas.
"It's an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That's existing international law," he said upon arriving in the UAE capital.
The trip marks the first visit by a senior US official to the Middle East since the agreement was signed last week.
Washington has sought to reassure its Gulf allies over the deal, which some analysts believe did not fully address their security concerns. The region, which hosts several US military bases and is a major global energy supplier, bore the brunt of Iran's retaliatory attacks following US-Israeli strikes that triggered the conflict on 28 February.
According to available figures, the UAE was targeted by more than 2,800 missiles and drones, more than any other country in the region. Kuwait and Bahrain were also heavily affected relative to their size.
Throughout the conflict, the UAE reinforced its strategic partnership with the United States and repeatedly argued that Iran's missile programme and regional proxies should be addressed as part of any broader settlement.
Gulf leaders have maintained close relations with President Donald Trump and have pledged billions of dollars in investment in the US economy. However, some experts say regional governments have become increasingly concerned about their security vulnerabilities and the reliability of US support after the scale of Iran's attacks.
