Dubai, UAE — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday during a Gulf tour aimed at reassuring regional allies following Washington’s recent agreement with Iran, while Pakistan said technical discussions between U.S. and Iranian officials would resume next week.
Rubio and Sheikh Mohamed reviewed strategic cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and discussed regional developments, with particular focus on security, stability and peace in the Middle East, according to the UAE state news agency WAM.
The meeting came amid efforts by Washington to secure regional support for a deal that ended months of conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran and opened the way for negotiations over security arrangements and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. State Department said Rubio discussed the agreement with Iran, safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz and the importance of maintaining regional stability during talks with the UAE leader.
Iran-US technical talks
Separately, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said technical talks between the United States and Iran would resume next week under Islamabad’s mediation.
“The talks will presumably take place on Tuesday, although Monday or Wednesday are also possible dates,” a foreign ministry spokesman told reporters in Islamabad, adding that details of the venue had yet to be finalised.
The discussions are expected to focus on implementation mechanisms for the agreement reached earlier this month, including issues related to sanctions relief, oversight of Iranian assets and maritime security in the Gulf.
The announcement comes as diplomatic activity intensifies across the region following the U.S.-Iran accord. Gulf Arab states are also preparing separate discussions with Tehran on regional security and the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
Markets appeared increasingly confident that disruption risks in the Gulf were easing, with Brent crude falling below $75 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since the conflict began earlier this year.
