G7 Expresses Support For Israel, Calls Iran Source Of Instability
Washington:
The Group of Seven nations expressed support for Israel in a statement issued late on Monday and labeled its rival 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 planned to leave the G7 summit in Canada early to return to Washington due to the Middle East situation.
The United States has so far maintained that it is not involved in the Israeli attacks on Iran although Trump said on Friday the US was aware of Israel's strikes in advance and called them "excellent." Washington has warned Tehran not to attack US 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, US 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
'Iran Can Never Have Nuclear Weapon': G7 Leaders Sign Joint Statement Amid Middle East Conflict
Last Updated: Iran Nuclear Weapons: G7 leaders opined that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons and called for de-escalation in the Middle East, including a Gaza ceasefire. G7 Summit 2025: The G7 leaders signed a joint statement Monday night saying Iran 'can never have a nuclear weapon", as they urged a 'broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza". The G7 leaders also stressed Israel had the right to defend itself in the escalating Middle East crisis. 'We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself," the statement read. 'We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," it added. '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 statement read. On his part, US President Donald Trump said Iran 'is not winning this war, and they should talk immediately before it's too late". Trump also warned that Tehran needs to curb its nuclear programme before it's 'too late." He said Iranian leaders would 'like to talk", but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before the Israeli aerial assault began. 'They have to make a deal," he said. Asked what it would take for the US to get involved in the conflict militarily, Trump said Monday morning, 'I don't want to talk about that.' The G7 originated as a 1973 finance ministers' meeting to address the oil crisis and evolved into a yearly summit meant to foster personal relationships among world leaders and address global problems. It briefly expanded to the G8 with Russia as a member, only for Russia to be expelled in 2014 after annexing Crimea and taking a foothold in Ukraine that preceded its aggressive 2022 invasion of that nation. First Published: June 17, 2025, 09:45 IST
The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Trump's tariffs will offer India certain advantages, says Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran
The reciprocal tariffs unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2 could offer India certain tariff advantages compared to other countries, V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, has said. Dr. Nageswaran was speaking on 'Global economic trends: India's challenges and prospects' at Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday. He said a 90-day 'pause' is on till July 9 with respect to the tariffs, but whatever was announced on April 2 gives India certain advantages, especially in labour-intensive manufacturing areas such as textiles, leather products and chemicals. 'One of the mistakes we all make is looking at the tariffs from only the Indian point of view; 'Oh, now we have a higher tariff!'. But what matters is not just your tariff, it also matters what others face. If your competition is going to face higher tariffs you are at an advantage. And that is what is happening to India in a few areas,' he said. On energy transition, Dr. Nageswaran urged caution against the unbridled injection of solar and wind energy, which are characterised by intermittency, into the grid. Pointing out that coal will continue to remain critical, he advocated their slower penetration into the grid. While renewables will continue to increase driven by India's commitment to clean energy, it will be done in proportion, he said. 'The world has no precedent of so much solar and wind energy coming into the grids. The grids are not ready for the intermittency. If we need backups for everything, what is the point? It's double the investment cost. That is the challenge.' It is in this context that the Union Budget announcement with respect to small modular reactors and the decision to open the nuclear energy sector to the private sector assumes significance, he said. In global manufacturing, India should aim to make itself indispensable as China has done over the past 30 years, Dr. Nageswaran said. This assumes significance given the growing uncertainty factor in the global economic scenario which prompts countries to increasingly look inward, and India's high dependence on China for components in vital sectors. 'The vulnerability of dependence on one source for many products will turn much sharper in the coming years. We have to think of what are the other sources we can rely on as an alternative to China,' he said. Given its size, India can develop as a more reliable and trusted alternative source to China, he said. 'Vietnam, Mexico, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia lack the size to even take a shot at matching what China has done in the last thirty years. That is our opportunity,' he said. Speaking on the occasion, Governor Rajendra Vishawanath Arlekar said that, henceforth, Raj Bhavan will not only be for the Governor who resides there. Rather, Raj Bhavan will be a 'Lok Bhavan,' as it is the people's asset, he said. 'Earlier the concept was that Raj Bhavan has to be a secluded place, away from the people and society. The gates of Raj Bhavan were never opened for all of us,' he said.
Deccan Herald
35 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Pakistan, US agree to advance negotiations on reciprocal tariffs
Pakistan has a USD 3 billion trade surplus with the US and faces a potential 29 per cent tariff on its exports to the US as announced in April by President Donald Trump as part of his plan to reduce trade deficit with countries around the world.
