US Senate Unanimously Approves Rubio as Secretary of State

Rubio’s confirmation cements his position as the second senior Trump foreign policy advisor with an established record of friendship toward the Kurds.

U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Aug. 21, 2019. (Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP)
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Aug. 21, 2019. (Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP)

Jan 21, 2025

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, former senator Marco Rubio (R, Florida), won unanimous approval on Monday from his former senate colleagues.

The Senate vote came soon after Trump assumed the presidency, following his noon-time inauguration that day.

Thus, the 53 year-old Rubio became the first Trump nominee to receive Senate confirmation.

Rubio became a senator in 2011 and then joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio has long held a friendly position toward the Kurds.

In May 2016, following the formation of the anti-ISIS Coalition–after then-president Barack Obama prematurely withdrew–U.S. forces from Iraq, Rubio visited Erbil, and his schedule included a meeting with Masrour Barzani, then Security Council Advisor within the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG.).

Read More: New US Secretary of State Nominee Marco Rubio Met PM Masrour Barzani in 2016

In the summer of 2018, answering a question from Kurdistan 24, Rubio, stressed the importance of including Kurds in the new Iraqi government, as it was being formed following the May 2018 parliamentary elections.

“The Kurds have been good allies and partners,” Rubio said. “We hope they’ll be fairly represented in the new Iraqi government.”

Read More: US Senator: Kurds are good allies, should be ‘represented fairly’ in new Iraq government

Most recently, in his confirmation hearings for the position of Secretary of State, Rubio affirmed that the U.S. military presence in Syria must be maintained, while Washington should continue to work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces )SDF) to prevent a resurgence of ISIS.

Read More: ‘US Must Continue Supporting SDF in the Fight Against ISIS’ Marco Rubio

Rubio also said that he “intends to take a tough approach to Iran,” as The Washington Post reported, while he remains “cautiously optimistic” about the situation in Syria, where the Turkish-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has overthrown the Baathist regime.

Rubio’s confirmation cements his position as the second senior Trump foreign policy advisor with an established record of friendship toward the Kurds.

Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, is also a good friend of the Kurds.

Read More: Mike Waltz, Good Friend of the Kurds, Named as Trump’s National Security Advisor

KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani spoke with him last month, as both officials affirmed their commitment to strengthening the partnership between the U.S. and the Kurdistan Region.

Read More: PM Barzani Speaks with US National Security Adviser-Designate, Mike Waltz—Long-time Friend of the Kurds