US top diplomat visits UAE on final leg of Mideast tour

U.S. top diplomat Marco Rubio visited the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for the final leg of his first Middle East tour, after breakthrough talks with Russian officials in Riyadh.

After arriving in Abu Dhabi in the morning, the U.S. secretary of state was set to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

On Tuesday, Rubio led a U.S. delegation in rare talks with Russian officials headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Saudi capital.

The discussions covered a range of issues, including efforts to end the Ukraine war.

Rubio's visit to the UAE comes ahead of a Friday summit in Saudi Arabia of the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt and Jordan, in order to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for post-war Gaza.

The Trump administration, which rejects any future role for Hamas in the devastated Palestinian territory, has called on the Arab countries, which are firmly opposed to any displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, to propose alternatives to the U.S. president's plan.

Trump has proposed placing the war-torn Gaza Strip under U.S. control and moving its 2.4 million inhabitants, mainly to neighboring Jordan and Egypt.

In Saudi Arabia on Monday, Rubio met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, emphasizing "the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security", according to a statement.

On Sunday, during his first stop in Jerusalem, the U..S secretary of state offered unwavering U.S. support to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, giving Israel the green light to proceed however it chooses in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire took effect on January 19.