Iranian women mourn during the funeral of victims of the Middle East war at Behesht Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran on March 26, 2026.
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AFP via Getty Images
Representatives of the world’s richest democracies are gathering in France today for the G7 meeting, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to try to drum up support among reticent allies for the Trump administration’s war on Iran.
The meeting comes after President Trump on Thursday announced a new deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face having their power plants destroyed, saying he was giving them until April 6.
“Negotiations are continuing and, despite misrepresentations from the fake news media and others, they are going very well,” Trump said.
Rubio’s visit to Europe comes a day after Trump again criticized NATO for not coming to America’s aid when he asked for help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital economic waterway practically blocked by Iran since the beginning of the conflict.
Trump warned the transatlantic military alliance that the US will “Never Forget” They didn’t come to its aid, he said, not that America really needed them.
European countries have said they were not informed in advance about Trump’s Iran plans and had no interest in getting involved in a protracted war. Germany’s defense minister bluntly stated in his assessment this week that Washington has “no exit strategy.”
Here are more updates from Day 28 of the Iran war.
Iran will dominate the G7 meeting
Foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the European Union will meet in France.
The purpose of this meeting is to reduce the growing gap between the Trump administration and some of America’s key Western allies. Rubio said countries should do this “Come forward” To help deal with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Before leaving for Europe he told reporters, “Very little of our energy comes from the Strait of Hormuz. The world is very interested in it, so they should come forward and deal with it.”
President Donald Trump listens to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 26, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America
Kaja KailashThe EU foreign policy chief said on the eve of the meeting that “Together with our G7 partners, we will discuss how to reduce tensions in the Middle East, as the consequences of the war are being felt acutely around the world.”
“At the same time, we cannot ignore Ukraine,” he said, noting that the two wars are linked.
The US has left Europe to deal with Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine, and has even left them out of peace talks. Meanwhile, Russia launched more than a thousand drones Tuesday’s attacks in Ukraine marked one of the largest attacks of the war, according to Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky in the Middle East
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia, saying Ukraine’s expertise in drone technology could help the Gulf nation with its security.
“Important meetings are scheduled. We appreciate the support of those who are willing to work with us to ensure security and we support them as well,” he said. On X.
Earlier the Ukrainian leader posted a video message saying: “The key is not only to produce new weapons – especially drones – not only the technology, but also to have real experience in using it, and to integrate it with radar, aviation and other air defense systems. We have this experience.”
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde he said he would ask for aid for Ukraine’s war in return.
“We want the Middle Eastern states to also give us a chance to strengthen ourselves. They have some air defense missiles which we don’t have enough of. That’s what we would like to reach an agreement on,” he said.
Attacks continue on every front
Attacks continued in the Middle East on Friday despite Trump’s promise of talks with Iran and Pakistan’s role as a mediator. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they have struck ballistic missile production sites and air defense systems throughout Iran.
Israeli soldiers mourn during the funeral of 21-year-old Staff Sergeant Ori Greenberg at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on March 26, 2026.
Odd Anderson/AFP via Getty Images
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Odd Anderson/AFP via Getty Images
“In strikes across Tehran, the IDF targeted infrastructure and sites used by the regime to produce weapons, with an emphasis on ballistic missile production facilities.”
The post further said, “In western Iran, air forces guided by military intelligence struck Iranian terrorist regime targets overnight. Among the targets struck were launchers and missile storage sites that pose a threat to the State of Israel.”
In Lebanon, the Israeli military issued another forced evacuation order as it moves north in the fight against terrorist group Hezbollah.
But Israel was also attacked on Friday, with missile bombardments reported from Iran.
A Hezbollah flag is seen on a car destroyed after an Israeli airstrike in Nabi Chit (al-Nabi Shayth), Lebanon, on March 26, 2026.
Fabio Bucciarelli/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
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Fabio Bucciarelli/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
And the Gulf countries continued to suffer losses. On Thursday night, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had attacked US bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait in the Gulf using missiles and drones.
Kuwait reported that its port was attacked by drones, while sirens were sounded in Bahrain and Qatar briefly issued a strict security warning.
The global economy suffered a major blow
The war and Iran’s virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes – has economists deeply concerned.
On Thursday, Wall Street stocks suffered their biggest daily decline since the war began, as oil prices fell sharply. Asian shares mostly fell early Friday.
Asian countries, which get most of their oil and gas from waterways, have been making contingency plans. Local media report that Japan plans to temporarily lift a ban on coal-fired power plants, while Vietnam has temporarily waived environmental taxes on the fuel in a bid to cut petrol prices by a quarter.
The Philippines has declared a national energy emergency and transportation workers are protesting.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb warned in an interview politico It said this week that the Iran war could lead to a global recession that is worse for the economy than the coronavirus pandemic.
