Marco Rubio orders US officials to stop commentary that could strain Iran talks
Marco Rubio orders US officials to stop commentary that could strain Iran talks
Marco Rubio orders US officials to stop commentary that could strain Iran talks
Exclusive: memo came after Mike Huckabee’s remarks about Israel sparked alarm inside White House
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio told ambassadors in the Middle East to stop making public comments that could inflame tensions and undermine Donald Trump’s pressure on Iran to relinquish its capacity to produce a nuclear weapon, according to a memo obtained by the Guardian.
“Giving rising tensions in the region, Chiefs of Mission and embassies at addressee posts must refrain from public statements, interviews, or social media activity that could in any way inflame regional audiences, prejudice sensitive political issues, or complicate US relationships,” the cable said.
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Inside the administration, the directive was widely interpreted as a pointed rebuke of the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, following his recent appearance on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s podcast in which he said Israel had a biblical right to much of the land in the Middle East.