By Amr Gohar
Washington DC – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington is open to expanding its security cooperation and potentially its presence in Iceland as the United States and NATO increase their focus on growing threats in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Speaking alongside Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir in Reykjavik, Rubio described Iceland as strategically important to the defense of both Europe and the United States because of its position between North America, Europe and the High North.
“The world has changed over the last 20 years,” Rubio said, noting that Washington’s attention has increasingly returned to the Arctic.
Asked whether the United States could increase its military presence, surveillance capabilities or other defense activities in Iceland, Rubio said Washington would be willing to discuss additional cooperation with Icelandic authorities.
“We would be open to having those conversations to see what more we can do together,” Rubio said. “If there’s opportunities that make sense for both countries, it’s something we would pursue.”
Rubio warned that Iceland and other Arctic nations face threats extending beyond conventional military action, pointing specifically to risks involving undersea cables, shipping lanes, covert activities and economic and commercial pressure.
“There are direct threats,” Rubio said, adding that 21st-century security challenges include economic and commercial threats with national-security consequences.
Rubio also addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying Ukrainian membership in NATO is currently “not on the table” and that Washington’s immediate focus is on whether the conflict can be brought to an end.
The secretary highlighted the 75th anniversary of the 1951 U.S.-Iceland Defense Agreement and said more than 1,200 Americans participated with allies in the Northern Viking 2026 military exercise last month.
He explained that the absence of U.S. ships and aircraft from the exercise reflected competing military demands elsewhere, including protecting commercial shipping lanes from threats linked to Iran and shifting resources toward the Indo-Pacific. Rubio stressed that this did not represent a long-term reduction in the U.S. commitment to Iceland.
Beyond defense, Rubio said Washington wants to significantly expand economic ties with Iceland, identifying geothermal energy, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, marine industries, data centers and digital infrastructure as potential areas for investment.
The United States plans to organize visits by American businesses to Iceland to explore investment opportunities while encouraging Icelandic companies to pursue opportunities in the U.S.
Rubio, however, played down the prospect of a traditional free-trade agreement, saying “the era of free trade agreements for the foreseeable future is probably not going to be there.” Instead, he said the two countries could pursue a bilateral reciprocal trade understanding.
The talks also covered China, the Middle East, Greenland and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In one of the most closely watched exchanges, Rubio addressed reports surrounding a fatal suspected plague case in Siberia amid U.S. assessments concerning Russia’s biological weapons activities.
Rubio said there was not enough information to determine whether the incident could involve an accidentally released modified pathogen and warned against speculation. However, he said the United States and international agencies were monitoring developments “hour by hour.”
“We encourage Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world,” Rubio said, adding that the United States already has measures in place should the situation prove more serious than currently acknowledged.
The visit underscores Washington’s renewed strategic focus on Iceland and the wider Arctic as competition over military security, shipping routes, critical infrastructure and economic influence intensifies across the High North.
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