World leaders met in France for a G7 foreign ministers’ session as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to persuade hesitant allies to support the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on Iran. Rubio’s trip came after President Trump set a new April 6 deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that Iran could face destruction of its power plants if it did not comply. Trump said talks were progressing despite media skepticism and renewed criticism of NATO for not assisting the U.S. when he asked for help reopening the strait, warning the alliance the U.S. would not forget its response.
European officials said they were not informed of Trump’s plans in advance and showed little appetite for joining a conflict that could drag on. Germany’s defense minister this week criticized Washington for lacking an exit strategy. Rubio urged other countries to “step up,” arguing the world has a stake in keeping Hormuz open, though only a small share of U.S. energy supplies passes through the waterway.
At the G7 meeting, diplomats from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the EU emphasized efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East while recognizing the connection between that situation and Russia’s war in Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said de-escalation must be discussed because the conflict’s effects are being felt globally, and warned that attention to Ukraine cannot be sidelined amid continued Russian drone attacks.
In a related diplomatic move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia, offering Ukraine’s experience with drones and integrating air defenses as a contribution to Gulf security. Zelensky said Ukraine sought reciprocal support, including air-defense missiles, and hoped Gulf states would bolster Ukraine in return.
Despite reported talks — with Pakistan said to be acting as an intermediary — fighting continued across the region. The Israel Defense Forces reported strikes on ballistic missile production sites and air-defense systems in Iran, targeting infrastructure used to produce weapons and locations deemed threats to Israel. Israel also reported incoming missiles from Iran and continued operations in Lebanon, issuing evacuation orders as it advanced against Hezbollah positions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it struck U.S. bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait with missiles and drones. Kuwait reported a drone attack on its port; sirens sounded in Bahrain, and Qatar briefly raised its security alert.
Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil moves — has rattled markets and economies. Wall Street recorded its largest daily drop since the war began as oil surged, and Asian equities largely fell. Import-dependent Asian countries began contingency measures: reports said Japan may temporarily ease restrictions on coal-fired power plants, Vietnam waived an environmental fuel tax to lower gasoline costs, and the Philippines declared a national energy emergency amid transport worker protests.
Finland’s president warned the conflict could trigger a global recession potentially worse than the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Reporting contributions came from Paris, Van (Turkey), Chiang Rai (Thailand) and Johannesburg.