Samuel Omang
The Group of Seven nations (G7) has expressed support for Israel in the ongoing onslaught against Iran.
G7 in in a statement issued late on Monday, labeled Iran as a source of instability in the Middle East, with the G7 leaders urging broader de-escalation of hostilities in the region.
The air war between Iran and Israel – which began on Friday when Israel attacked Iran with air strikes – has raised alarms in a region that had already been on edge since the start of Israel’s military assault on Gaza in October 2023.
“We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel,” G7 leaders said in the statement.
“Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror,” the statement added and said the G7 was “clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Israel attacked Iran on Friday in what it called a preemptive strike to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Since then the two Middle Eastern rivals have exchanged blows, with Iranian officials reporting over 220 deaths, mostly civilians, while Israel said 24 civilians were killed.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has said it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Israel, which is not a party to the NPT, is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.
President Donald Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early to return to Washington in what was believed to be due to the Middle East situation.
However, Trump said his early departure from the Group of Seven nations summit has “nothing to do with” working on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, denying comments by French President Emmanuel Macron who said the U.S. president made a ceasefire proposal.
Macron “mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform as he left the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington.
“Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that,” Trump added in the post.
Macron said earlier on Monday that Trump had made an offer for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. “There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions,” Macron told reporters at the G7.
The United States has so far maintained that it is not involved in the Israeli attacks on Iran although Trump said on Friday the U.S. was aware of Israel’s strikes in advance and called them “excellent.” Washington has warned Tehran not to attack U.S. interests or personnel in the region.
“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza,” the G7 statement said, adding the nations were also ready to coordinate on safeguarding stability in energy markets.
An Israeli strike hit Iran’s state broadcaster on Monday while Trump said in a social media post that “everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.”
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also discussed the Israel-Iran war in phone calls with his British, French and European Union counterparts on Monday.
Washington said Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran.
