PARIS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the ongoing operation against Iran is expected to "conclude in weeks."

Speaking to reporters after attending a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in France, Rubio said the operation would end "at the appropriate time, in a matter of weeks, not months." He noted that the United States could still "achieve the objectives without any ground troops," including destroying Iran's missile and drone capabilities.

A reporter from the U.S. news website Axios wrote on social media platform X that Rubio told his G7 counterparts the conflict with Iran could continue for "another two to four weeks."

Rubio also said Washington was open to diverting U.S. weapons from Ukraine to the Middle East, although such a move has not been made so far.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Rubio said no meetings are currently scheduled to address the issue. He also rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent claim that U.S. security guarantees are tied to territorial concessions in Donbass, calling it "a lie" and stating that Zelensky was told that such guarantees would only come after the end of the conflict.

The G7 foreign ministers' meeting was held in France on Thursday and Friday, with discussions focusing on issues including the situation in Iran and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. ■