Marco Rubio heads to Middle East to address Iran MoU, Hormuz

US Secretary of States will travel to UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain, where he will meet with GCC to discuss Iran talks.The United States’ top diplomat is set to travel to the Middle East later this week to discuss regional issues, including the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran and the future status of the Strait of Hormuz.Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to visit the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain from June 23-25, the US State Department said in a media release on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US partially lifts Iran oil sanctions amid ‘encouraging’ talkslist 2 of 3What are the key outcomes of the Iran-US talks, what next?list 3 of 3Shipping stalls in Strait of Hormuz after Iran declares key waterway shutend of list“The Secretary will discuss a range of regional priorities, including the Iran" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="150641" data-entity-type="topic">Memorandum of Understanding with Iran, efforts to secure full and free safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region,” the statement reads. “In Bahrain, the Secretary will also meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to discuss shared priorities across the region.”The GCC, made up of six countries in the Gulf, also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.The announcement comes as the United States and Iran seek a negotiated settlement on a series of complex issues during a period of talks outlined in the joint MoU that suspended hostilities between the two countries.While that agreement was largely welcomed across the Middle East, the war strained relations between Iran and Gulf neighbours hosting US military bases. Iranian attacks on those countries, which included strikes on civilian infrastructure, also raised questions about US security partnerships with countries in the region.Transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial corridor for oil and gas from the Middle East that was largely shut throughout the war, has also remained below pre-war levels, though it has increased since the MoU signing.