Marco Rubio to visit Israel amid massive US military buildup targeting Iran
Tel Aviv: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel early next week for a two-day mission as a massive surge of American military hardware and personnel flows into the Middle East, the State Department announced Friday.
The trip, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, aims to address "regional priorities," including the standoff with Iran, the conflict in Lebanon, and the ongoing implementation of President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza.
The announcement followed a direct order from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Friday authorising the departure of non-essential personnel and their families. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged those eligible to leave "TODAY" while commercial flights remain available, as carriers like Netherlands-based KLM have already begun suspending service.
"While there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be," Huckabee wrote in an email to mission staff.
Failed Diplomacy and Nuclear Standoff
The visit comes as a third round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva ended Thursday without an agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran’s requirements for a deal were "clearly spelled out," but a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report circulated Friday indicated that the U.N. watchdog has been denied access to nuclear sites damaged during the brief war in June 2025. Consequently, inspectors cannot verify if enrichment has been halted or determine the current scale of Iran's stockpile.
Despite the lack of a public breakthrough, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has acted as a mediator, claimed "significant progress" was made this week. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to meet with al-Busaidi in Washington later Friday to discuss the next steps before technical talks resume in Vienna.
Regional Exodus and Military Buildup
The security climate has led to a ripple effect across international missions:
- United Kingdom: The Foreign Office has temporarily withdrawn staff from Iran, citing the "security situation."
- Australia: Officials ordered the departure of all dependents of Australian staff in Israel on Wednesday.
- China and India: Both nations, along with several European states, have issued travel bans or advisories for their citizens in Iran.
The U.S. is currently conducting its most significant military buildup in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This includes a two-carrier strike group deployment, featuring the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln, and the first-ever stationing of U.S. F-22 stealth fighters at Israel’s Ovda Airbase.
The "authorised departure" status for the U.S. mission signals an intensified level of contingency planning as the Pentagon positions assets to both conduct potential strikes on Iranian infrastructure and defend against retaliation.
With inputs from AP