G7 allies were on Friday pressing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for clarity on American plans for Iran almost one month into the war in the Middle East, with concern also intensifying over the extent of cooperation between Russia and Tehran.
Rubio will spend most of Friday in talks near Versailles, south-west of Paris, in what will be his first trip abroad since Washington joined Israel in launching strikes against Iran on 28 February.
Hosted by France – which holds the rotating G7 presidency – the meeting in Cernay-la-Ville will bring together foreign ministers from the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan alongside their US counterpart.
G7 allies are expected to press Rubio for clarity on Washington’s next steps in Iran, reflecting growing unease among partners nearly a month into the conflict.
The other G7 ministers began the talks without Rubio on Thursday.
The meeting comes as the closure of key shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz impacts global energy markets, driving oil prices higher and fuelling concern about wider economic fallout.
Although the agenda formally spans multiple crises, including Ukraine, the conflict with Iran is set to take centre stage.
Iran threatens Middle East infrastructure after Trump ultimatum
Allies divided
Despite close ties with Washington, none of the other G7 nations has offered unequivocal backing for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
After US President Donald Trump publicly criticised allies for failing to support efforts to secure shipping lanes in the Gulf, several countries have indicated willingness to consider action aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz – a gateway for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply.
In a further sign of divisions, there will be no joint communiqué at the end of the meeting – an unusual move that highlights the lack of consensus among G7 members, according to diplomatic sources.
Meanwhile, Iran’s missile and drone attacks targeting regional energy infrastructure have driven oil prices sharply higher – at one point nearing $120 a barrel. Although prices have since eased slightly amid talk of a possible ceasefire, they remain nearly 40 percent higher compared with the start of the conflict.
At Friday's meeting, Rubio is expected to emphasise shared security concerns and the need for coordinated action.
Before arriving in France, Rubio said reopening the Strait of Hormuz was in the “interest” of all G7 countries, describing US action as benefiting not just Americans but “the world”.
Wider concerns
European ministers have also raised concerns about growing cooperation between Iran and Russia, linking the Middle East conflict to the war in Ukraine.
Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul said allies needed to know “how the US will proceed” and urged closer coordination in the face of what he described as increasingly aligned threats.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called for a “swift resolution” to the conflict and warned that Iran must not be allowed to “hold the global economy hostage” through disruption of shipping routes.
War creating 'largest' oil shock in history as Iran hits new Gulf targets
Ceasefire scepticism
While US officials insist that negotiations with Iran are underway, Tehran has firmly denied any such talks.
Washington has reportedly sent the Iranian government a 15-point ceasefire proposal that includes sanctions relief in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and guaranteed shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz.
But Iranian officials have dismissed the prospect of talks. “We have a very catastrophic experience with US diplomacy,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told India Today this week, claiming that the US had twice before attacked Iran while negotiations over its nuclear programme were underway.
Iran has continued launching attacks across the region, including strikes on Israel and Gulf states. This week, a drone attack sparked a major fire at Kuwait International Airport, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting multiple drones over its oil-rich Eastern Province.
Meanwhile the United States is reinforcing its military presence, with sources telling Reuters that between 3,000 and 4,000 troops from the US Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division are expected to be sent to the Middle East.
(with newswires)
