Rubio visits Taj Mahal, Amber Fort before meeting Quad
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Amber Fort in Jaipur on Monday (May 25, 2026) along with wife Jeanette Rubio and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore ahead of a crucial meeting of the four foreign ministers on Tuesday (May 26, 2026).
Mr. Rubio, on a four-day visit to India, arrived at Agra’s Kheria airport on a special plane and traveled by car to a hotel near the Taj Mahal’s east gate before proceeding to the monument in a golf cart, officials said.
“Thank you for allowing us to visit one of the love treasures of the world,” Mr. Rubio wrote in the guest book.
The Miami dignitary, known for its warm weather, seemed relatively unfazed by Agra in a navy blue suit, although he removed his tie before posing for photos.
The visit to the Taj was followed by a trip to the Amber Fort, where the Rubies received a traditional Rajasthani welcome at the 16th-century monument and attended cultural performances with folk dances, including Kacchi Ghodi and Ghoomar.
The Quad meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) will be attended by Mr Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, has emerged as a key grouping largely focused on peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting is hosted by India as the current chair of the coalition.
Asked about progress on the Iran peace deal, the US secretary of state said: “The work is still ongoing. We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today.”
“So we have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of opening (the Strait of Hormuz), opening a very real, meaningful time-bound negotiation on nuclear issues, and hopefully we can do that,” Mr. Rubio said before leaving for Agra.
In Agra, he spent about an hour in a 17th-century marble mausoleum and had his picture taken at the UNESCO World Heritage site. Security was tightened around the Taj Mahal during the high-profile visit, and tourists already present inside the monument complex were temporarily asked to move out by security personnel, officials said.
The Taj Mahal visit came amid scorching weather conditions in Agra, which was among the hottest places in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (May 24, 2026), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to the IMD weather chart released on Monday (May 25, 2026) morning, Agra recorded a maximum temperature of 45.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday (May 24, 2026) while the minimum temperature settled at 32.8 degrees Celsius.
In Jaipur, tour guide Mahesh Kumar Sharma, who took Rubios around the fort, told PTI that the visit lasted nearly half an hour, during which the US secretary of state and his wife viewed several prominent parts of the fort complex.
After being welcomed, they were taken to the Singh Pol (Lion Gate), from where they could see the main courtyard.
“Rubio was briefed about the history and architectural significance of the Amber Fort. He then moved to the Diwan-e-Aam from where he viewed the vast fort complex and the surrounding countryside,” Mr Sharma said.
He said the US Secretary of State had shown particular interest in the fort’s water management system and inquired about the source of the water supply.
Mr. Rubio was briefed on the traditional rainwater harvesting system used at the fort and seemed fascinated by the centuries-old engineering practices, the tour guide said.
The Rubios also visited Ganesh Pol and the famous Sheesh Mahal during the tour. Despite the blistering heat in Jaipur, Mr. Rubio seemed to thoroughly enjoy the visit. Built of pale yellow and pink sandstone, the fort is located on top of a small hill about 11 km from the capital.
Published – 25 May 2026 21:57 IST