The US-Iran agreement can bring peace to the region with a strong diplomatic follow-up, G7 leaders said in a joint statement, in a rare moment of unity amid fraught international relations.
Leaders said they recognised “the breakthrough and the opportunity that currently exist in the Middle East” and stressed they would support a “robust and comprehensive diplomatic follow-on agreement” to the agreement between US President Donald Trump and Iran. It is expected to be officially announced in Switzerland on Friday.
The G7 joint statement was published hours after a working lunch with leaders from the UAE, Qatar and Egypt to discuss the Middle East crises. The statement is viewed as a win by host France after last year's summit in Canada was disrupted by disagreements with the US and only resulted in a chair's statement.
The US-Iran agreement “can bring peace and security for all region”, the statement said. It “provides a historic opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon and tackling the threats related to its regional and ballistic activities”, it added.
The Strait of Hormuz must remain toll-free, and traffic can be helped by a France and UK-led naval defensive mission to protect merchant vessels and remove all mines, leaders said.
Media leaks show the memorandum provides Iran with broad financial incentives, including the immediate right to sell oil, access to a $300 billion development fund and the eventual release of frozen assets. A copy of the agreement was circulated by the US at the G7 summit yesterday, The National understands.
Lebanon ceasefire
The conflicts involving Israel in Gaza and Lebanon were also addressed as concerns mounted over Israel's insistence on keeping its troops in southern Lebanon. At the G7, Mr Trump expressed sharp criticism of Israel, saying it had been “fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed”.
In their statement, G7 leaders called on an “immediate robust ceasefire” in Lebanon. They expressed support for the Lebanese government's efforts to disarm Iran-backed militia Hezbollah.
They also called for the protection of Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty “with the appropriate international security guarantees.” France is pushing for a multinational force to be deployed in southern Lebanon after a UN mission is scheduled to withdraw next year.
Gaza was mentioned in the leaders' statement as it called for reconstruction efforts and the ‘swift implementation of political and security measures.” They also demanded an end to violence in the occupied West Bank, where attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have surged.
Last week, France, Canada and the UK, along with non-G7 states Australia and Norway, issued a new round of sanctions against extremist individuals and settler organisations.
Additionally, G7 leaders expressed support for Ukraine, as Mr Trump signalled renewed interest in solving the continuing conflict with Russia. He is reported to have expressed disapproval of pictures shown to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Russian bombing of a historic cathedral in Kyiv last week. Mr Zelenskyy was a guest at the G7.
Leaders agreed to deliver additional air-defence capacity to Ukraine and to provide further support to the country through next winter. They also pledged to “increase the pressure on the Russian war economy”, including the oil and gas sectors.
“We consider this the right moment to proceed with additional measures, as President Trump has delivered a deal that we support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” leaders said.
