At Least 2 More Weeks of War, Rubio Tells G7

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told fellow foreign ministers from the G7 that the expected duration of the conflict with Iran has shifted, according to reporting from Axios. Speaking during a private meeting in France, Rubio said the United States now believes the war could continue for another two to four weeks. That estimate extends beyond the four-to-six-week timeline that President Trump has previously mentioned publicly.

Rubio also indicated that the United States may be getting closer to entering meaningful negotiations with Tehran. However, any communication between the two sides is currently indirect and moving slowly, in part because Iranian officials are trying to avoid being electronically tracked.

During the meeting, Rubio discussed uncertainty surrounding Iran’s leadership structure. He said there is confusion about who ultimately holds decision-making authority within the country. According to people familiar with the discussion, Rubio told his counterparts that at least two senior Iranian officials appear open to negotiations but still need approval from higher leadership before moving forward.

Another topic was the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping route. Rubio said the United States does not currently require assistance reopening the waterway. However, he told G7 partners that Washington would like their involvement in a future maritime mission after the war aimed at preventing Iran from exerting control over the strait.

Reactions from other G7 officials showed some differences with the U.S. position. French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin said the conflict “is not ours.” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also noted disagreements with the American approach and said the United Kingdom prefers a diplomatic solution. Despite those differences, the ministers agreed on a joint position calling for an immediate stop to attacks targeting civilians and supporting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

The ministers also discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine. Several U.S. allies expressed concern that the fighting in the Middle East could pull American attention away from its support for Ukraine. Rubio also pushed back strongly against comments made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky had claimed the Trump administration was asking Ukraine to give Russia control of the Donbas region in exchange for U.S. security guarantees as part of a ceasefire deal. Rubio dismissed that claim outright, saying it was false and that Zelensky knows it is not what was presented to him.

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