Rubio's Gulf tour, Emirates A380 inspections and Etihad Rail passenger launch

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins a Gulf tour with meetings in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain as Washington seeks regional backing for negotiations on a permanent agreement with Iran. Rubio says Gulf partners will help shape the next phase of talks and insists Iran will not be allowed to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also says it has secured the release of $12 billion in frozen assets under the interim agreement with the US, although Washington has yet to confirm the claim. The announcement comes as a temporary sanctions waiver allows Tehran to resume oil exports while negotiations continue. We also look at the latest US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel, where major disagreements remain over Hezbollah, Israeli troop withdrawals and the future of southern Lebanon. In aviation, Emirates begins urgent inspections of part of its Airbus A380 fleet after European regulators order checks following the discovery of cracks in key wing structures. And Etihad Rail prepares to launch its first passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah next week, with opening-day tickets selling out quickly ahead of a major milestone for the UAE's national rail network. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.