Rubio begins Gulf tour to brief allies on US-Iran deal

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening, launching a three-day tour of Gulf states following a US-Iran agreement signed last week that ended hostilities between Washington and Tehran. The trip is aimed at addressing allied concerns that the deal includes broad concessions to Iran, including the establishment of a $30 billion fund. Speaking to reporters, Rubio said the allies' concerns about the agreement would be raised in the meetings. Vice President JD Vance led the final round of negotiations that produced the deal, meeting with Iranian officials in Switzerland. Rubio, known for his hardline stance on Iran, is approaching the agreement at a time when several Republican members of Congress have described it as offering concessions to Tehran. His posture toward the deal is being closely watched on Capitol Hill.