U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a bilateral meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 16, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo — Evelyn Hockstein

June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning a trip to the Middle East next week and is expected to visit Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, Axios reported on Friday, citing two sources.

Rubio is expected to hold a summit with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain, Axios reported later, citing a third unidentified source.

The State Department did not immediately respond to an emailed request for confirmation.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Ryan Patrick Jones)