State Department News, Remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan Before Their Meeting
January 13, 2026
SECRETARY RUBIO: Just a brief word today. We are going to sign – are going to continue to work on the implementation of this agreement, which we think is an incredible example. On the one hand, it opens up Armenia for business and allows it to prosper economically, but it does so in a way that doesn’t in any way infringe upon the sovereignty of Armenia. There’s no sovereignty issue here; it’s respectful of their sovereignty. It’s is a great example and it’s also a continued way to build our bilateral relationship between our two countries, which is very strong and continues to get stronger through these agreements outside of the TRIPP arrangement.
And we just think the TRIPP arrangement really is going to turn out to be a model for the world of how you can open yourself up to economic activity and prosperity without in any way questioning or undermining your sovereignty and your territorial integrity. And we think it’s going to be great for Armenia, great for the United States, great for everyone involved, but ultimately a model for the world. And we’re very committed and we’re taking important steps today to continue to move forward on this.
Secretary Rubio’s Call with Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Bayramov
January 19, 2026
The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Secretary Rubio commended the Azerbaijani government’s shipments of fuel to Armenia, an important gesture that demonstrates Azerbaijan’s continued commitment to the historic peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan advanced by President Trump at the White House summit on August 8, 2025. The Secretary and Foreign Minister touched on other confidence-building measures to further advance peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus region and lauded positive developments in U.S.-Azerbaijani relations.
Terrorist Designations of Muslim Brotherhood Chapters
January 13, 2026
Today, as a first step in support of President Trump’s commitment to eliminate the capabilities and operations of Muslim Brotherhood chapters that pose a threat to the United States as described in Executive Order 14362, the United States is imposing terrorist designations against the Lebanese, Jordanian, and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Department of State is designating the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), and the group’s leader Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh as an SDGT. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood as SDGTs for providing material support to Hamas.
These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs. The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.
For more information about today’s announcement, see the Department of State’s fact sheet and the Department of the Treasury’s press release.
Source: https://www.state.gov/releases/2026/01/terrorist-designations-of-muslim-brotherhood-chapters/