G7 Ministers Demand Cessation of Civilian Attacks as US-Israel War with Iran Escalates

G7 foreign ministers, meeting in Vaux-de-Cernay, France, issued a joint statement on Friday calling for an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that American military objectives could be achieved "in weeks, not months" and without ground troops. Rubio, who arrived only on the final day of the two-day meeting, told reporters that the United States was "ahead of schedule on most" of its stated goals, which he defined as destroying Iran's missile and drone capabilities, weapons production facilities, navy, and air force. The statement, approved by Rubio along with the other G7 foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, declared that "there can be no justification for deliberate attacks on the civilian population in the course of an armed conflict, as well as attacks on diplomatic facilities." The ministers also reiterated the need to restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted since the conflict began on February 28, 2026.

Rubio rejects ground invasion, urges allies to share Hormuz burden Rubio pushed back firmly against any expectation that the United States would lead post-conflict security arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that Asian and European nations that depend on trade through the waterway must contribute more. He acknowledged that recent deployments of additional US troops to the region were intended to give President Donald Trump "maximum optionality" in responding to contingencies, but insisted those deployments did not signal a shift toward ground operations. „We are ahead of schedule on most of them, and we can achieve them without any ground troops, without any.” — Marco Rubio via Reuters Rubio also confirmed that Iran had sent "messages" indicating interest in a diplomatic resolution but had not yet formally responded to the 15-point US peace plan. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said there was broad consensus among G7 members and partner nations — including Brazil, South Korea, India, and Saudi Arabia — to preserve freedom of navigation as a "common good." German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the discussions with Rubio as "friendly" and "constructive," and stated explicitly that Washington had made no request for German military participation before the end of hostilities. „There was and there is no request from the United States of America, especially to us, to make a military contribution before the end of the fighting.” — Johann Wadephul via Berliner Zeitung

Merz breaks with earlier stance, warns of open-ended escalation German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a sharp public rebuke of US President Donald Trump's conduct of the war, marking a notable departure from his earlier positions. Speaking at an event organized by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Friday, Merz said Trump's approach amounted to a "massive escalation with open end" rather than a path toward a peaceful resolution. „What Trump is doing at the moment is not de-escalation and an attempt to achieve a peaceful solution there, but a massive escalation with open end.” — Friedrich Merz via DIE WELT Merz expressed "great doubts" about whether the United States and Israel had a coherent strategy and whether any such strategy could be successfully implemented. He warned that the escalation was "threatening — not only for those affected, but for all of us." Trump, for his part, had publicly criticized Germany earlier in the week, calling statements from Berlin about non-involvement "inappropriate" during a cabinet meeting on Thursday. Wadephul, despite Merz's sharp language, maintained at the G7 level that there were "absolutely no disagreements" among the member states, and said Germany stood ready to contribute to stabilization efforts once fighting ends.

Trump extends Iran ultimatum to April 6 as strikes expand President Donald Trump extended his ultimatum to Iran until April 6, 2026, claiming the extension was made at Tehran's request — a claim Iran denied, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump said Iran had asked for seven additional days and that he granted ten, citing Iranian vessels that had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. According to LaSexta, Vice President JD Vance is leading the negotiations with Iran, while the White House awaited a formal Iranian counteroffer to the US peace plan, which had been expected by Friday or Saturday. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that the IDF would expand strikes in Iran in response to continued missile launches from Tehran. Shortly after Katz's announcement, Israeli jets struck a uranium production facility, two large steel plants partially owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and a heavy water research reactor near the city of Arak. US intelligence, cited by Reuters and drawing on five people familiar with the assessments, estimated that roughly one-third of Iran's missile arsenal had been confirmed destroyed after nearly a month of air strikes, with the status of another third unclear.

The US-Israel military operation against Iran, designated Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, with strikes that killed then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran subsequently appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The G7 — comprising the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, along with the European Union — held its foreign ministers' meeting in Vaux-de-Cernay, near Paris, with France serving as this year's host. The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is a critical global trade artery through which a substantial share of the world's energy supply passes.

Key events — Iran war diplomacy, March 2026: — ; — ; — ; — ; —