Where’s Marco? Rubio steps back from three top foreign policy crises.

Key Points:

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio has focused his diplomatic efforts primarily on the Western Hemisphere, particularly on Venezuela and Cuba, while largely stepping back from major global crises like the Iran war, Israel-Hamas conflict, and Ukraine-Russia war.
• Rubio has been personally involved in Cuba-related sanctions and policies but has not been visibly active in key diplomatic engagements on Iran or Gaza, with President Trump delegating these issues to figures like Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
• Former officials criticize this approach, arguing that the U.S. would be better served if the secretary of state led all major foreign policy challenges rather than selectively engaging, highlighting concerns about a dysfunctional national security decision-making structure.
• The State Department defends the administration’s foreign policy management, citing historic results and close teamwork, but experts warn that bypassing traditional diplomatic channels risks weakening long-term U.S. bilateral relationships.
• The ambiguity over Rubio’s role as America’s top diplomat has caused confusion internationally, as the secretary of state is traditionally expected to oversee the full spectrum of U.S. foreign policy issues.