Michael Boulos, Tiffany Trump’s husband, was seated next to Marco Rubio during a meeting with UAE leadership

As Vice President J.D. Vance attempts to mop up Donald Trump’s mess in Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio just finished a comparatively cushier assignment: reassuring wealthy Gulf states that everything is in hand. 

It’s serious business, so it was a bit of a surprise when the president’s son-in-law — Michael Boulos, husband to Tiffany Trump — was seen barnacled to Rubio’s entourage at an official meeting with a Middle Eastern head of state.

Boulous, a Lebanese American businessman and son of senior adviser for Arab and African affairs Massad Boulos, was seated next to Rubio during a Wednesday meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Critically, Boulous himself does not hold any formal government position, and has been accused of leveraging his ties to the Trumps for financial gain in the past. 

“We discussed President Trump’s MOU with Iran, efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and regional stability,” Rubio wrote in a post on social media, which featured a photo of him and Boulos seated at the center of the conference table in front of the UAE’s delegation. “I thanked the UAE leadership for their unparalleled support, praised their courage and resilience in the face of Iran’s attacks, and reaffirmed our commitment to Emirati security and to our strong bilateral partnership.” 

When questioned by reporters about what role the president’s son-in-law had in these high-stakes talks — particularly given his status as a private luxury entrepreneur without a government position — Rubio deflected. 

“He was there to see his brother who lives here,” Rubio said. “He was just here because his brother lives here, and I’m a good friend of Michael’s, so we had a chance to catch up.”

Boulos’ brother, Fares, is an Afrobeats DJ and aspiring actor.

There is another, perhaps more plausible reason for Boulos’ presence at the meeting. Trump’s most prominent son-in-law, Jared Kushner, husband to Ivanka Trump, has made untold millions cultivating lucrative business ties, primarily through government-backed crypto ventures and real estate development projects, throughout the Gulf region after serving as a senior adviser during Trump’s first term. Now, Kushner is one chief negotiator in the Iran talks despite continuing to hold potentially conflicting financial interests throughout the region.

Boulos may be looking to develop Middle Eastern connections of his own, and the federal government appears to be accommodating him.