Kananaskis, Alberta, 17 June 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Group of Seven (G7) leaders unexpectedly agreed on Monday on a joint statement backing Israel's self-defence and opposing a nuclear-armed Iran.

In a statement issued by the seven leading democratic economies, meeting at a summit in western Canada, the G7 called Iran "the principal source of regional instability and terror."

It also said that the seven countries - which include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada - agree that Iran "can never have a nuclear weapon."

The group also said Israel has "a right to defend itself" and said it supports Israel's security.

The statement also called for a "broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza."

The agreement on the statement was reached on Monday evening, just hours after the White House announced that US President Trump would leave the G7 summit early due to the Middle East crisis.

The statement does not include direct criticism of Israel's actions against Iran. However, it stresses the importance of protecting civilians in the conflict and calls for resolving the Iran crisis in a way that leads to a broader regional de-escalation.

Eye on international energy markets

The statement also said that the G7 will continue to monitor the situation in the international energy markets closely and is prepared to take coordinated measures "with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability."

Trump sees Iran's willingness to negotiate

Trump had previously hinted that Iran might be ready for negotiations and said he would address the matter as soon as he returned from the G7 meeting. At the same time, there are concerns that the US could actively intervene in the military conflict, which would mark a significant escalation.

A rare success for Canada's G7 presidency

The agreement on the statement is one of the few successes achieved by the current Canadian G7 presidency during the summit.

Common positions on many other key issues, such as global trade, climate protection, the war in Ukraine, development aid and further sanctions on Russia were not reached as Trump disagreed with the G7's stance. For this reason, the Canadian hosts refrained from negotiating a comprehensive final declaration.

Middle East conflict deepens with Israel-Iran escalation

Israel has been attacking targets in Iran since Friday night, including nuclear facilities, senior military figures, nuclear scientists, defence positions, urban targets, and oil and gas fields. The declared main goal is to prevent the Islamic Republic from secretly developing nuclear weapons. Iran has responded with counter-attacks on Israel.

The conflict between the two arch-enemies marks a significant escalation in the already dramatic situation in the Middle East. Since October 2023, Israel has been waging a war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip in response to the devastating Hamas attack on Israeli soil.

Israel has also been fighting Iranian proxies in the region, including the Hezbollah Shiite militia in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, who have periodically fired missiles at Israel, in what they say is support for the Palestinians in Gaza.

There is fear that the military conflict between Iran and Israel could ignite a wider conflagration across the entire region.