Rubio arrives in Bahrain to discuss Iran deal on Gulf tour

MANAMA, Bahrain — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the Bahraini capital on the final stop of a Gulf tour that also included the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. He is scheduled to meet Bahraini officials and representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council to build regional support for a preliminary agreement the Trump administration has reached with Iran. Talks in Manama, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters, are expected to focus on the deal's implications for regional stability and maritime security. During his earlier stops in the UAE and Kuwait, Rubio said Washington would not take steps that undermine the security of its Gulf partners. President Donald Trump said Iran has agreed to "indefinite" nuclear inspections, but Tehran has denied making any such concession. The conflicting accounts have left the scope of the agreement and the obligations of each side unclear. No further details on the status of the negotiations were immediately available.