Marco Rubio visiting Israel and the Middle East starting Saturday

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be visiting Israel and the Middle East starting Saturday, in a trip focused primarily on containing Iran, according to Iran International.

The visit comes following Rubio's participation in the Munich Security Conference and G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

According to the State Department, will focus on "advancing regional cooperation, stability, and peace, with a key component being addressing the threat posed by Iran."

In addition, Rubio will discuss "freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to Phase II of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and countering the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies.”

Rubio is a long time supporter of Israel, and has openly said that Hamas is "evil" and should cease to exist. He also immediately removed sanctions on settlers and settler leaders imposed by the Biden administration as soon as he was confirmed by the Senate.

The Trump administration's approach to the Iranian threat, the main focus of Rubio's visit, continues as President Trump signed an order imposing "maximum pressure" sanctions on Iran in order to deter it from developing nuclear weapons. Trump himself said that the sanctions were "tough" but necessary due to Iran being so close to having nuclear bombs, though he said he was open to a deal.

Iran is suffering serious economic problems at home due to US sanctions and the economy generally. It has at least 40% inflation and probably higher, its currency is constantly collapsing, and it has 50% unemployment among prime age workers aged 24-50. Worse, inflation is leading to serious scarcities, including doctors and medical supplies.

The country is also suffering from a fuel shortage which is causing rolling blackouts in homes, schools, government buildings, and even important manufacturing factories. The shortage comes due not only to US sanctions but also years of underinvestment in power generating infrastructure.