Donald Trump is closing in on top picks for his foreign policy team, planning to tap Florida congressman Mike Waltz as his national security adviser and to nominate Florida senator Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, according to people familiar with the matter.

Rubio, an Iran and China hawk who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, would become one of the most prominent members of Trump’s foreign policy team if confirmed by the Senate next year. A Cuban-American who serves on the Senate foreign relations committee, Rubio would be the first Latino to serve as Washington’s top diplomat.

Waltz, 50, a decorated military veteran, Nato critic and fellow China sceptic, would also become one of the most powerful people in the White House. He is a retired Army Special Forces officer who served several tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. If he takes up the post, he will be a central figure in shaping US foreign policy, including on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.