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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said there will have ‌to be a transition phase in Venezuela ​and the country ‌will need free and fair elections, though he ‌added ⁠that there ‌needs to be patience ‌until that point is reached."Ultimately, there will have to ⁠be a transition phase," Rubio said in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show. "There will have to be free and fair elections in Venezuela. And that point has to come.""We have to be patient, but we also can't be complacent."The ​US military seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid in January that was ordered by President ‌Donald Trump. The United Nations' ⁠human rights ​office has said the raid was a violation ​of international law.At the time, Trump said Washington would "run" Venezuela. Maduro's former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, subsequently took over and has been governing the country under US oversight.Following US moves in Venezuela, Trump has talked of acting against Cuba and pressuring its leadership.Rubio said in Tuesday's interview that Cuba needed economic and political reforms and ‌Washington would soon have ‌more news on that ⁠country."So I think Cuba is in need of ⁠two things, economic ⁠reforms and political reforms, you cannot fix their economy if you don't change their system of government," Rubio said.The US cut off Venezuela's oil exports to Cuba after toppling Maduro in early January and Trump threatened ​to apply punishing tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba.Cuba's energy crisis has caused blackouts across the country of 10mn. Health officials say the crisis has increased the mortality risk for cancer patients, especially children.Human rights experts say Trump's focus on exploiting Venezuelan oil and his threats against ‌Cuba echoed an imperialist ​approach. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel's moves to annex the West Bank threaten the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. In response to the Knesset's preliminary approval of two bills aimed at imposing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and one of the settlements, Rubio added that this would threaten President Donald Trump's plan to end the conflict in Gaza. Regarding Trump's announcement of the cancellation of a summit scheduled to be held with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Rubio confirmed that the United States still wants to hold meetings with Russia.

Lebanese President Gen. Joseph Aoun, in a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called on Washington to press Israel to commit to a cessation of hostilities in southern Lebanon. During the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Lebanese President also stressed the need to ensure Israel's withdrawal from occupied positions, the release of detained Lebanese prisoners, and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. President Aoun further urged US assistance in equipping and resourcing the Lebanese Army to enable it to carry out its nationwide security mandate. He also called for US support for efforts to convene an international conference dedicated to Lebanon's reconstruction. Secretary Rubio reaffirmed Washington's continued support for Lebanon and commended the efforts of President Aoun and the Lebanese government to restore stability and resilience.

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to reaffirm America’s full support for Qatar’s security and sovereignty following Israel’s strike in Doha.The Secretary will convey appreciation for Qatar’s invaluable role mediating between Israel and Hamas. He will also discuss U.S. and Qatar’s shared commitment to regional stability, ending the war in Gaza.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar discussed recent regional and international developments with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to Radio Pakistan, the discussion took place during a phone call received last night by the Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister from the US Secretary of State last night. During the call, both sides expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US ties and discussed recent regional and international developments. They also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations across multifaceted areas.