Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has revealed that he didn't seek his current role in the U.S. administration and only accepted the job after being convinced by his wife.

"I didn't want this job. I didn't seek this job," he told the Independent Journal Review in an interview during his recent Asia trip which was published on Wednesday.

"My wife told me I'm supposed to do this," he added.

His words come just hours before diplomats from around the world are due to meet at the State Department for a meeting to discuss how to defeat the so-called Islamic State. In the wide-ranging interview, the former chief executive of Exxon Mobil also explained that he had never met President Donald Trump before the election.