Ed Miliband set for Marco Rubio meeting amid Trump fury at his appointment as Foreign Secretary by Andy Burnham

Ed Miliband is expected to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the day after it was revealed that the Trump administration was angered by Andy Burnham’s appointment as Foreign Secretary.

Mr Miliband was in Manila, the Philippine capital, at the same time as Mr Rubio, where both were attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers’ summit.

The event marks Mr Miliband’s arrival on the international stage following the appointment of Mr Burnham as the new prime minister, who formed his cabinet on Monday.

The White House was said to be “deeply concerned” by Mr Miliband’s appointment as foreign secretary, while warnings were made that Donald Trump had not forgotten the harsh words the former Labor leader had made about him in the past.

The former energy secretary has previously clashed with the US president over his stances on net-zero emissions and democracy, describing the president as a “racist, misogynist, self-confessed abuser” in 2016.

Mr Burnham has been warned that some “serious diplomatic repairs” need to be undertaken in the US after Mr Miliband’s promotion to the post on Monday sparked outrage from the Trump administration.

At the Asean summit, Mr Miliband called for calm in the conflict between Iran and the US, while Mr Trump threatened to “bomb and destroy” bridges and power plants.

He told foreign ministers gathered in the Philippines that the UK would “work intensively with others to reduce this conflict”.

But Mr. Trump, writing on the Truth Social platform, vowed to retaliate “if the Islamic Republic of Iran fires on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Miliband told ministers of Asean member states: “I know how much the Iran conflict, in particular, has affected Asean partners.

“You feel as much as anyone around the world the daily impact on your economies and the living standards of your citizens, as well as the impact on seafarers from many Asean countries.

“We in the UK, in our own way, are feeling the effects of conflict on families, on businesses, on the cost of living.”

The Foreign Secretary added that London would “work intensively with others to de-escalate this conflict and find a diplomatic path forward”.

He said any solution “must include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and upholding the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation.”

Mr Miliband also said he welcomed the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran in June, which included an agreement for free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days.

But efforts to comply with the agreement stalled when Iran targeted tankers in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month.

At the time, Mr. Trump declared “The Ceasefire is Over” on Truth Social.

The US president took the podium again on Wednesday and wrote: “From this point forward, whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran opens fire on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz with a Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy A BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including any adjacent to or within the Capital of Tehran.”

The warning came after the United States launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, where its air defenses opened fire on Tehran.

While Iran launched a missile attack on Aqaba, Jordan, an alarm was also raised in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The Jordanian military said four Iranian missiles were intercepted over Aqaba, while the other two fell in “uninhabited areas.”

Mr Miliband was named Foreign Secretary on Monday, shortly after Andy Burnham made his debut in 10th place.

The new Prime Minister has already spoken to the American leader and his spokesman said their call was “extremely warm”.

A Downing Street spokesman said the leaders discussed Mr Burnham’s “commitment to defense and security” and the UK’s “determination to secure the movement of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and reduce costs for businesses and families across the country”.

After the meeting, Trump said the Prime Minister “has a big job ahead of him, but he can do it” and promised that the United States “will be there to help.”

The Republican president has previously described Mr Burnham as an “ultra-liberal” and “a town mayor”.

As hostilities between the two sides escalate again, Mr Burnham will continue to allow the US to use UK bases for defensive strikes against Iran.