MATTHEW LEE Diplomatic Writer, Author at The Rapid City Post

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a joint news conference with Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld at the Palacio de Carondelet, in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

Rubio is to visit Israel to show support before the UN meets on the creation of a Palestinian state

September 12, 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Israel next week in a show of support before the UN meets for what is expected to be a contentious debate on the creation of a Palestinian state. Rubio goes to Israel Sunday for a two-day visit. He’s expected to go to a controversial archeological site in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim for the capital of an eventual state. Rubio is visiting Israel despite tensions between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar. Rubio will meet Friday with the prime minister of Qatar.

FILE - Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 26, 2024, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

US set to ease travel restrictions on African leader accused of corruption

September 5, 2025

The Trump administration is set to allow a West African leader accused of flagrant corruption to travel to the United States for this month’s U.N. General Assembly and cities outside New York that he has previously been barred from visiting. Two officials familiar with the matter said the State Department is processing a temporary sanctions waiver for the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro “Teddy” Obiang, following recommendations that it is in the U.S. national interest to blunt growing Chinese influence in the country and boost American business interests there. Obiang has been accused, and in some cases convicted, of pilfering his impoverished country’s resources to feed a lifestyle of luxury cars, mansions and superyachts.

FILE - The UN flag flies on a stormy day at the United Nations during the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

US considers banning Iranians from shopping at Costco during UN meeting

September 4, 2025

The Trump administration has already denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend the U.N. General Assembly later this month. It is now considering ramping up restrictions on several other delegations that would severely limit their ability to travel inside New York City. Potential travel and other restrictions could soon be imposed on the delegations from Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe and, perhaps surprisingly, Brazil, which has held a traditional place of honor during the high-level leaders week during the General Assembly that begins Sept. 22. One proposal being floated would bar Iranians from shopping at stores like Costco and Sam’s Club without first receiving the express permission of the State Department.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, at the White House in Washington, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, looks on. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Marco Rubio will head to Latin America again as Trump prioritizes immigration

August 28, 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading back to Latin America next week for visits to Mexico and Ecuador. It will mark his fourth foreign trip in the Western Hemisphere since becoming President Donald Trump’s top diplomat in January. Rubio has already traveled Latin America and the Caribbean twice and to Canada this year. He will return to the region to discuss Trump administration priorities including stemming illegal migration, combating organized crime and drug cartels and countering what the U.S. believes is malign Chinese behavior.

FILE - The seal of the State Department is photographed at the Washington Passport Agency, July 12, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million foreigners with US visas for any violations

August 21, 2025

The Trump administration says it’s reviewing more than 55 million foreigners who have valid U.S. visas for any violations that could lead to deportation. In a written answer to a question from The Associated Press, the State Department said all U.S. visa holders are subject to “continuous vetting.” It says it has an eye toward any indication that they could be ineligible for permission to enter or stay in the United States. The State Department’s new language suggests that the continual vetting process is far more widespread and could mean even those approved to be in the U.S. could abruptly see those permissions revoked.

Demonstrators block a road during a protest demanding the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas and calling for the Israeli government to reverse its decision to take over Gaza City and other areas in the Gaza Strip, near Jerusalem, Israel, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

State Department employee fired after questioning talking points on Israel and Gaza

August 20, 2025

The State Department has fired a press officer responsible for drafting Trump administration talking points about policy toward Israel and Gaza. Officials said he was terminated over the weekend following two incidents in which his loyalty to Trump administration policies was questioned. He and two current U.S. officials say he drew ire for drafting a response to an Associated Press query related to discussions between Israel and South Sudan about the possible relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan. The draft response included a line about the U.S. not supporting the forced relocation of Gazans, which the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem rejected. He also questioned an embassy statement referring to the West Bank as the biblical “Judea and Samaria.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers a reporter's question ahead of a meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric at the State Department, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US sanctions more ICC judges, prosecutors for probes into alleged American, Israeli war crimes

August 20, 2025

The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on the International Criminal Court for pursuing investigations into U.S. and Israeli officials for alleged war crimes. The State Department on Wednesday announced new sanctions on four ICC officials, including two judges and two prosecutors, who it said had been instrumental in efforts to prosecute Americans and Israelis. As a result of the sanctions, any assets the targets hold in U.S. jurisdictions are frozen. The sanctions were immediately denounced by both the ICC and the United Nations. It is just the latest in a series of steps the administration has taken against The Hague-based court, the world’s first international war crimes tribunal.

President Donald Trump, right, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin depart at the conclusion of a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Takeaways from the Trump-Putin meeting: No agreement, no questions but lots of pomp

August 15, 2025

The much-anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin began with a warm welcome a military flyover but ended with a thud after the two leaders conceded they had failed to reach any agreements on how to end the Russia-Ukraine war. After about 2 1/2 hours of talks Friday, the two men appeared before reporters for what had been billed as a joint news conference but ended up being less than 15 minutes of rather standard diplomatic comments. They gave no indication that any concrete results were achieved and took no questions.

President Donald Trump listens to a question from a reporter in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump administration calls out human rights records of some nations accepting deported migrants

August 12, 2025

The Trump administration’s new human rights reports for countries worldwide eliminate mentions of discrimination faced by LGBTQ people and reduce a previous focus on reproductive rights. The reports released Tuesday also criticize restrictions on political speech by U.S. allies in Europe that American officials believe target right-wing politicians. The reports cover 2024 before President Donald Trump took office but reflect his administration’s focus on free speech and protecting the lives of the unborn. However, the reports also offer a glimpse into the Trump administration’s view of dire human rights conditions in some countries that have agreed to accept migrant deported from the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a media briefing during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur Friday, July 11, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP)

State Department may require visa applicants to post bond of up to $15,000 to enter the US

August 4, 2025

The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States. It’s a move that may make the process unaffordable for many. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department says it will start a 12-month pilot program under which people from countries deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 when they apply for a visa. It says the countries affected will be listed once the program takes effect.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen during a meeting with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump administration tells embassies to rein in criticism of foreign elections

July 17, 2025

The State Department is pulling back from commenting on or criticizing elections overseas unless there’s a clear and compelling U.S. foreign policy interest in doing so. In new guidance issued Thursday, the department said that U.S. embassies and consulates abroad should refrain from issuing statements that invoke any particular ideology. The cable, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press, said “messages should avoid opining on the fairness or integrity of an electoral process.” The department has for decades issued statements highly critical of or questioning the legitimacy of certain elections, notably in authoritarian countries. That’s changing under the Trump administration.

Refugees carry food at a distribution center run by the World Food Programme (WFP) at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana, Kenya Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

US says it destroyed 500 metric tons of expired food aid but it won’t affect future distribution

July 17, 2025

The State Department says its destruction of 500 metric tons of emergency food aid that was stored in a warehouse in the Middle East was required because it had expired. Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters Thursday that the high energy biscuits could no longer be safely sent to potential recipients. They’re used primarily to provide immediate nutritional needs for children in crisis situations. Democratic lawmakers have accused the Trump administration of creating a crisis and ignoring urgent humanitarian needs by suspending most foreign assistance. Bruce says the amount destroyed was less than 1% of the total food assistance that the U.S. supplies annually and wouldn’t affect the distribution of similar assistance moving forward.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks upon his arrival at Subang Air Base, outside of Kuala Lumpur Thursday, July 10, 2025. Rubio arrived in Malaysia to attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP)

Trump’s tariffs may overshadow Rubio’s first official trip to Asia

July 9, 2025

Sweeping tariffs set to be imposed by President Donald Trump next month may overshadow his top diplomat’s first official trip to Asia. The Trump administration is seeking to boost relations with Indo-Pacific nations to counter China’s growing influence in the region. Trump on Monday sent notice to several countries about higher tariffs if they don’t make trade deals with the U.S. That came a day before Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed for a regional security conference in Malaysia. Top diplomats and senior officials from at least eight countries the Republican president has targeted for tariffs will be represented at the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Malaysia.

FILE - Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, listens during a press conference in Paris, May 7, 2025. (Stephanie Lecocq/Pool via AP, File)

Trump administration revokes terrorism designation of new Syrian leader’s group

July 7, 2025

The Trump administration is revoking the terrorism designation of a group led by Syria’s new president. It’s part of a broader U.S. engagement with the transitional government since the ouster of former leader Bashar Assad late last year. In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday the move “recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government” under President Ahmad al-Sharaa.” The decision had not been previously announced, although it was made as the Trump administration has been moving to ease or end many U.S. sanctions that had been imposed during Assad’s rule. The revocation of the designation will take effect on Tuesday.

With public ban on band Bob Vylan, Trump appears to ease visa privacy rules to make a point

July 2, 2025

The U.S. State Department’s revelation that it has revoked visas for British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan is the latest indication that the Trump administration appears to have eased privacy restrictions to make public points. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced the decision on social media, referencing chants led by the band’s frontman against the Israel Defense Forces at a U.K. music festival. The band denies antisemitism, claiming they are being targeted for their stance on Gaza. This move reflects a broader Trump administration crackdown on visa holders accused of promoting antisemitic or pro-militant views. Critics argue this continues a long U.S. history of suppressing dissenting perspectives under the guise of national security.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, accompanied from left Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi leave after speaking to the media during the Indo-Pacific Quad meeting at the State Department in Washington Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

US, Indo-Pacific partners agree to strengthen maritime, critical minerals cooperation

July 1, 2025

The United States. Australia, India and Japan have agreed to expand their cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and further collaborate on supplies of critical minerals and rare earths that are key components of high-tech production. The foreign ministers of the four countries, known as the “Quad,” met in Washington on Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to expand U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific to compete with a rising China. In a joint meeting with his three colleagues, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Quad must be a “vehicle for action” that goes beyond statements of intent and stressed that commerce and trade will be critical to ensuring the group’s relevance in the future.

FILE - U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher gestures has he talks to journalists during a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, July 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

Longtime State Department spokesman, diplomat Richard Boucher, dies at 73

June 28, 2025

Richard Boucher, who served for more than a decade as spokesman for the State Department and assistant secretary of state for public affairs, has died at age 73. He died Friday at his home in northern Virginia after a battle with spindle-cell sarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer, according to his son. Boucher had been the face of U.S. foreign policy at the State Department podium across administrations throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, beginning in the George H.W. Bush presidency and continuing through Bill Clinton’s and George W. Bush’s terms in office. Boucher served as the spokesman for secretaries of state James Baker, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stands behind as President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on Air Force One while in flight from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

This is what could happen next after an Israel-Iran ceasefire

June 24, 2025

This week’s whipsaw chain of events involving Iran, Israel and the United States that culminated in a surprise ceasefire has raised many questions about how the Trump administration will approach the Middle East going forward. Yet, the answer to the bottom line question — “what’s next?” — remains unknowable and unpredictable. While there’s uncertainty about whether the ceasefire between Iran and Israel will hold, it opens the possibility of renewed talks with Tehran over its nuclear program and reinvigorating stalled negotiations in other conflicts.

FILE - The U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel, is pictured, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

US boosts emergency Mideast evacuations and travel warnings after Trump orders strikes in Iran

June 22, 2025

The State Department has doubled the number of emergency evacuation flights it is providing for American citizens wishing to leave Israel. It also has ordered the departure of non-essential staff from the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and is stepping up travel warnings around the Middle East because of concerns that Iran will retaliate against U.S. interests in the region for airstrikes against its nuclear facilities. In internal and public notices, the department significantly ramped up its cautionary advice to Americans in the region. In an alert sent to all Americans worldwide and posted to its website on Sunday, the State Department warned all U.S. citizens abroad to exercise caution.

Missiles seen from Jerusalem illuminate the night sky during an Iranian missile attack, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

US evacuates 79 staff and family from embassy in Israel as more Americans ask how to leave

June 20, 2025

The U.S. evacuated 79 staff and families from the U.S. Embassy in Israel on Friday as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies. An internal State Department memo says the military flight, the second known to have occurred this week, left Tel Aviv for Sofia, Bulgaria, where some or all of the passengers were to get a connecting charter flight to Washington. The memo also says a growing numbers of private American citizens are seeking information on how to leave Israel and Iran. On Friday alone, more than 6,400 U.S. citizens in Israel filled out an online form asking for information about when and if the U.S. government would organize evacuation flights.

US starts evacuating some diplomats from its embassy in Israel as Iran conflict intensifies

June 18, 2025

The U.S. State Department has begun evacuating nonessential diplomats and their families from the U.S. embassy in Israel as hostilities between Israel and Iran intensify and President Donald Trump has warned of the possibility of getting directly involved in the conflict. Two U.S. officials say a government plane evacuated a number of diplomats and family members who had asked to leave the country Wednesday. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced later on X that the embassy was making evacuation plans for private American citizens. Later, however, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs tweeted that “we have no announcement about assisting private U.S. citizens to depart at this time.”

President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One after speakiing with reporters to depart the White House on his way to attend the G7 Summit in Canada, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump administration demands action from 36 countries to avoid travel ban

June 17, 2025

The Trump administration has given 36 countries, most of them in Africa, a Wednesday deadline to commit to improving vetting or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. A weekend diplomatic cable sent by the State Department instructs embassies and consulates in the 36 countries to gauge their host countries’ willingness to improve their citizens’ travel documentation and take steps to address the status of their nationals who are in the United States illegally. The cable was described to The Associated Press. It asks the countries to take action to address the U.S. concerns within 60 days or risk being added to the travel ban, which now includes 12 nations.

President Donald Trump, left, speaks during a meet withGermany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, not pictured, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, from right, and Vice President JD Vance listen in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

State Dept says current US visas from travel ban countries will not be revoked

June 6, 2025

The State Department has instructed U.S. embassies and consulates not to revoke visas previously issued to people from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries now under President Donald Trump’s new travel ban, which goes into effect next week. In a cable sent on Friday to all U.S. diplomatic missions, the department said that “no action should be taken for issued visas which have already left the consular section.” The cable, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, suggests there should be no issue for current visa holders from the affected countries entering the United States after the restrictions take effect on June 9 at midnight ET.

MATTHEW LEE Diplomatic Writer.