British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani meet on the second day of a G7 foreign ministers meeting on Capri island, Italy, April 18, 2024. (Credit: Remo Casilli/Reuters)
Group of Seven (G7) leaders released a statement on Friday condemning Iran and giving Israel its “full solidarity and support,” following ongoing meetings in Italy addressing enflamed tensions in the region and in the wake of strikes attributed to Israel on a radar site near an Iranian nuclear plant Friday morning.
On Saturday, Iran launched a salvo of over 300 missiles and drones toward Israel, the majority of which were intercepted, although some struck military bases in Israel. The attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed more than a dozen people including senior IRGC commanders.
“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel,” the statement reads. “This was a dangerous escalation.”
The cycle of retribution between the arch-enemies happens against the backdrop of Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, where its military operation has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. Attempts to broker a cease-fire and hostage exchange deal have stalled with key mediator Qatar announcing it is considering stepping down from its role.
“Israel and its people have our full solidarity and support and we reaffirm our commitment towards Israel’s security,” the G7 leaders declared. “Iran’s actions mark an unacceptable step towards the destabilization of the region.”
Referring to the Friday morning drone attacks on Iran, the G7 leaders said: “In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation.”
The G7 statement also calls on Iran to “refrain from providing support to Hamas … Hezbollah and other non-state actors.”