U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a Middle East tour on Wednesday, starting with a visit to the United Arab Emirates. In Abu Dhabi, Rubio met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as part of a three-nation trip to reassure Gulf allies of America's security commitments.
The tour is aimed at easing concerns regarding a proposed interim peace agreement and memorandum of understanding intended to end the war with Iran. Some Gulf allies view the proposed deal as too generous to a state that has previously attacked them.
Following his meetings in Abu Dhabi, Secretary Rubio is scheduled to meet with leaders in Kuwait and Bahrain. All three of these nations were targeted by Iranian attacks during the war.