Marco Rubio Landed in the Middle East Yesterday. Here’s What He Had to Say.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued on Tuesday that Iran’s terrorist proxies must be addressed in U.S.-Iran negotiations if the memorandum of understanding (MOU) is expected to lead anywhere, as he arrived in the Middle East for talks with America’s Gulf partners. The issue has been a notable blind spot for many of the MOU’s defenders, as well as for the agreement itself, which fails to address any long-term solution to Iran’s network of proxy forces and its ability to project power throughout the region.

While much of the Trump administration’s discussion surrounding the MOU has focused on ensuring that the United States is not simply handing money to Iran, and that any economic benefits will come only after Tehran demonstrates a willingness to negotiate and act in good faith, the primary emphasis has remained on dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. Discussions surrounding Iran’s terrorist proxies, by contrast, have largely remained in the background. Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terrorist group, has continued attacking Israel since the MOU was signed. At various points, it even appeared that both American and Iranian officials were prepared to place responsibility for stalled negotiations on Israel. 

Secretary Rubio, however, made clear that addressing Iran’s terrorist proxies will be a key topic in discussions with America’s Gulf allies, a necessary correction to an MOU that has seemingly handed Iran a quiet win on Hezbollah before further negotiations have even begun.

🚨 JUST IN: Sec. Marco Rubio DEFENDS President Trump’s Iran deal, saying it will end Iranian terror proxies when enforced

“A careful reading of the MoU will see that if you talk about an end to hostilities in the region — you can’t have the end of hostilities as long as Iranian… pic.twitter.com/PIE0HAHivi

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 23, 2026

“It will be discussed,” the Secretary of State said of the Iran agreement. “I think a careful reading of the MOU will see that when you talk about, for example, a complete end of hostilities in the entire region, well, that’s not possible. You can’t have the end of hostilities and conflicts in the region as long as Iranian proxies are launching missiles and drones from Iraq and are participating in terrorism like Hamas did and like Hezbollah did. So I do think it’s covered by the MOU, and it is an issue that will be gotten to at the appropriate time in these negotiations.”

This comes as the Trump administration touted significant progress over the weekend, with Vice President JD Vance leading another round of negotiations with the Iranians in Switzerland. The two sides are seeking a more lasting peace in the Middle East, while the United States continues to pursue its objective of a non-nuclear Iran. 

On Monday, Vance revealed that he had secured Iran’s agreement to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors into Iranian nuclear facilities, although Iranian officials, as usual, appeared to walk back or dispute that claim just hours later. The Trump administration still has considerable work to do to ensure Iran upholds its commitments, especially as the MOU has allowed Iranian oil exports to resume, funneling billions of dollars into the regime’s coffers with relatively few conditions attached. Those funds will no doubt be used to bolster Iran’s ballistic missile program and support its terrorist proxies abroad, an issue Rubio is expected to address during his trip to the region. 

While the administration has repeatedly said it is judging Iran by its actions rather than its words during this 60-day negotiation period, it remains unclear what, if anything, will constitute a red line. Iran will almost certainly continue testing the limits of what many conservatives find acceptable. For now, trust remains with President Trump and his administration, with the hope that they have a clear strategy for securing a lasting agreement while preventing Iran from exploiting the process.

Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all. 

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