G7 leaders: ‘Israel has right to defend itself, Iran principal source of regional instability’

G7 Summit: The leaders of the G7 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – have voiced their support for Israel and condemned Iran as the primary source of terror, in a statement. 

“We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians,” the group stated. 

“Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. 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. We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability,” the statement added. 

Meanwhile, the European foreign ministers have also urged Iran to return to nuclear negotiations with the United States and avoid escalating conflict with Israel, according to a French diplomatic source. Iran's foreign minister responded that Tehran's priority is to confront Israel at this time.

Israel launched Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities early on Friday, two days before the resumption of talks between US and Iranian negotiators on a new nuclear deal. Israel described the operation as a preemptive strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran denied such plans and retaliated with counterstrikes on Israel.

France, Britain, and Germany, known as the E3, are parties to the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which aimed to limit Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions. Last week, the E3 proposed a resolution approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors, declaring Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

The ministers called on Iran to return to negotiations without preconditions and to avoid actions against Western interests. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that Iran remains serious about diplomacy but is focused on confronting aggression.