The G7 calls on Iran to stop attacks in Hormuz

The Group of Seven called on Iran to stop its “continued attacks” on civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz. She pledged, “in the absence of a diplomatic solution,” to coordinate action to limit Tehran’s ability “at both the economic and political levels” to “foment instability” in the region and the world.

The group's foreign ministers praised the efforts of the regional mediators, in a statement issued after their meetings in Paris on November 9 and 10. They renewed their support for “all diplomatic endeavors” aimed at a “permanent settlement” that responds to international concerns about the Iranian nuclear program. They said that “Iran should never be allowed to develop or possess a nuclear weapon,” and called on it to stop its support for non-state armed groups in the region.

The statement "strongly" condemned the Iranian attacks on neighboring countries, and the disruption to international trade, energy security and the global economy caused by the obstruction of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

The ministers renewed their commitment to free and safe passage in the strait, and their opposition to “the imposition of any illegal taxes, fees or charges,” and any discrimination or restrictions on navigation. They praised the "defensive activities" carried out by the US Central Command (Centcom) for removing mines from shipping lanes and escorting civilian ships.

They said that a “multinational and independent” defense initiative led by France and Britain could contribute to the resumption of navigation in the strait, “particularly by supporting verification of the removal of all mines.”

The ministers pledged to fully implement Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran, and the measures reimposed in September 2025 under the “snapback” mechanism in Resolution 2231. They called on UN member states to take similar steps, and called on Tehran to resume its full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The statement expressed "deep concern" about Iran's involvement in "violent plans and actions" targeting citizens of the group's countries and their territories. He referred to Britain's declaration of Iran's responsibility for the incident that occurred near Fairford Air Base on September 27. He concluded by saying: “Iran should have no doubt that we are united.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, at the conclusion of the meetings, “The economic campaign is so destructive that there is no need, at the present time, for major combat operations... This is what I told our allies here today.” He warned that the US military is “prepared to respond” if Iran crosses “some red lines.”

He said that Iranian oil exports are drying up due to the blockade, and that the economic cost to Tehran is “exceptional and increasing every day.” He described the Iranian conditions for the agreement as “ridiculous,” adding: “In the end, you have to eat.”

Reuters quoted four diplomats from the group that Rubio told his counterparts that Washington has options other than war or accepting Iranian demands. Two of them said that he described Iranian officials as “crazy.”

The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani met in Paris, returning from Washington, with the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia. Two European diplomats said he expressed cautious optimism that a diplomatic solution was still possible.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that the war “will not end either with the military track or with increased sanctions,” and that “the only way” is to work with the Iranian conditions contained in the “two-day proposal.”

The Iranian leader’s advisor and assistant, Mohammad Mokhber, wrote on Wednesday that “any participation in the hostile siege on Iran is an act of war,” the responsibility of which and its consequences fall “irrespective of any geographical restrictions, on all participants.”

An advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker, Mehdi Mohammadi, said that Washington responded on Tuesday to the “two-day proposal” with a response that was “not only unsatisfactory, but completely deceptive.” He added that Washington insisted on “direct negotiations” before presenting its final response, “and we did not accept that,” and that the Americans “prepared everything for a limited strike.”

Tehran denies removing mines from the strait. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hussein Mohebi said, “Not a single war mine has been cleared in the Strait of Hormuz.” On Wednesday, the Marine Unit of the Revolutionary Guard announced that two tankers had exploded with sea mines after they took an “unpermissible path,” and said that the incident had added “another page to Cooper’s black record.”

Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in Iran, said that his country will not allow even a single atom of enriched nuclear material to leave the country, and if it is exposed to any new American attacks, there will be consequences, stressing that Tehran and Washington are not conducting any negotiations at the present time.

Rezaei's statements came after US officials downplayed the importance of the need to carry out any additional military action against Iran, and with analysts pointing out that US President Donald Trump's tone in this regard has become less harsh in this regard since the defeat of the Republicans in the midterm congressional elections that took place on November 3.

Rezaei said: “Any new attacks from the United States will also be met with targeting distant American bases,” according to what was reported by Reuters.

Two senior Iranian sources reported in May (Aya) that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued directives not to send uranium enriched to a high degree of purity, that is, close to the level that allows the manufacture of a nuclear weapon, abroad.

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Iran had 440.9 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium, a level much higher than required for civilian purposes, when Israel and the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025. It is not clear how much of that remains.

For a long time, Israel, the United States and other Western countries have accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran denies these accusations.

The United States insists that nuclear issues be part of any initial negotiations with Iran aimed at ending the war.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters last week that Iran had sent the United States a proposal related to the nuclear file via Qatar, and that it would be discussed only after Washington met seven demands presented by Tehran.

In addition, Iran on Wednesday denounced the United States’ offer of a reward of $20 million in exchange for information about its nuclear program, describing the step as “repugnant and unfortunate.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called on the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Security Council to condemn the bounty announced last week.

On Friday, the US Army announced a reward of up to $20 million, with “the possibility of moving to another location,” for anyone who provides information about the program’s “facilities” and “its equipment and individuals associated with it.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran calls on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Security Council, and the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to explicitly and unequivocally condemn this hateful announcement,” Araqchi wrote, in a letter addressed to the three parties.

He reiterated that the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful.

On Wednesday, the Revolutionary Guard announced that two oil tankers had exploded with sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Army Navy said that a third tanker caught fire east of the strait. This comes the day after the Guard announced that three tankers had been wounded, and despite markets betting on a decline in the intensity of the war.

The Revolutionary Guards' naval unit said that the two "violating" tankers attempted to exit "secretly" on Tuesday night through the "unpermissible and dangerous path" in the strait, "under the protection of the plundering and aggressor US army's fighters," but they collided with naval mines and "exploded in a majestic explosion."

The statement explained that the two tankers were “abandoned and burning severely,” despite attempts by “accomplices” with the American army to put out the fire. He said that they had turned off their navigation and identification systems, and were crossing “at the direction of a US Army officer.” The statement said that the incident added “another page to the black record” of US Central Command (Centcom) Commander Brad Cooper.

The statement addressed American officials by saying that they do not need a “media parade” on board a helicopter outside the Strait to “prove their lies,” because “aerial photographs of the Strait of Hormuz reveal the whole story without censorship.”

In a separate statement, the Iranian Army Navy said that an “violating oil tanker” caught fire at dawn on Wednesday “in the prohibited and unsafe area” east of the Strait of Hormuz, after it collided with a sea mine, according to Agence France-Presse. Iranian media reported similar news about a tanker being hit by a sea mine late Tuesday.

The two statements did not reveal the names of the tankers or their flags, nor did they provide information about their crews. It was not clear whether the army tanker was one of the two Guard tankers or a separate incident.

The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority said that it had received a report about an incident involving a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and that the condition of the crew, the extent of the damage and the environmental impact “are not yet known.” The Commission did not link its report to what Tehran announced.

On Tuesday, the Revolutionary Guard announced that two tankers that had taken an “unpermitted route” caught fire. He said that one of them collided with a mine, and that the second was “under the protection of American army fighters.” He later announced that a third tanker had exploded with a sea mine.

On the same day, the UAE company ADNOC Logistics and Services said that one of its ships was damaged as a result of an attack in the territorial waters of the UAE.

The British Authority reported that a tanker was hit by an “unspecified projectile” off the Omani coast near the strait, and that another tanker was attacked northeast of Lima in the Sultanate of Oman. It was not clear whether these ships were among the tankers that Tehran spoke about.

Video clips showed the oil products tanker, Navage 8 Missy, flying the Singapore flag, on fire near the coast of Oman on Sunday, according to Reuters.

On the same day, the European Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite captured an image of a thick cloud of black smoke at the site.

The Revolutionary Guards' naval unit said that the tanker was one of three targeted that day for taking "unpermitted routes." The ship is managed by Navage 8, in which ADNOC Logistics and Services owns a majority stake.

Data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy showed that attacks did not decline in November, after 37 ships were targeted in October, the highest monthly number since the start of the war. The International Maritime Organization has counted 130 incidents in the region since the outbreak of war, most of them attacks, in which at least 25 sailors were killed.

An oil spill resulting from the attacks reached the Omani shores, according to a clip verified by Reuters, and satellite images showed oil slicks off the coasts of Oman and the Emirates.

The US Army recently announced the removal of all mines from the waterway. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hussein Mohebi denied this, saying that “no war mines were cleared in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Since the outbreak of the war in late February, Tehran has imposed strict restrictions on navigation in the strait, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passed before the war, and requires that ships follow a route determined by it. The southern route near the Omani coast, where the United States protects ships, is illegal.

The United States imposes a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Centcom said that its aircraft opened fire on Saturday at a cargo ship flying the St. Kitts flag and disabled it, after it attempted to leave territorial waters after docking in an Iranian port.

The leadership announced last month that it had helped the Arab Gulf states export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through Hormuz since the summer.

Oil prices fell on Tuesday to their lowest level in two months, after US officials reduced the need for new military action against Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the economic campaign against Iran is “destructive” to the extent that it does not currently require “major combat operations.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the war “will not end either with the military track or with increased sanctions.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry warned on Tuesday that the approaching winter and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz will exacerbate the global energy crisis.