G7 backs Israel-Iran ceasefire, urges fresh talks on Tehran nuclear program

India Today

a day ago

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations have asked Iran and other involved countries to start fresh talks to reach a deal on Iran's nuclear program. The G7 countries -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the United States -- met on June 25 in The Hague. In a joint statement released on Monday, they said, "We call for the resumption of negotiations, resulting in a comprehensive, verifiable and durable agreement that addresses Iran's nuclear program."advertisementThe G7 also supported the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which was announced by US President Donald Trump. The war between the two countries started on June 13, after Israel launched attacks on Iran. This flare-up further destabilised the Middle East, already on edge since the Gaza war began in October 2023.Before the ceasefire, Iran targeted the US military base in Qatar in response to Washington's strikes on its nuclear facilities. The G7 warned, "We urge all parties to avoid actions that could further destabilise the region."
They also appreciated Qatar's role in helping reach the ceasefire agreement and showed support for both Qatar and Iraq, who were affected by strikes from Iran and its partners."We appreciate Qatar's important role in facilitating the ceasefire and express our full solidarity to Qatar and Iraq following the recent strikes by Iran and its proxies and partners against their territory. We welcome all efforts in the region towards stabilisation and de-escalation," the statement added.'IRAN MUST NOT BUILD NUCLEAR WEAPONS'advertisementThe G7 made it clear that Iran should never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. They urged Iran not to restart its uranium enrichment activities, which had earlier caused concern. "In order to have a sustainable and credible resolution, we call on Iran to urgently resume full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," the statement said. It also asked Iran to provide full access to its nuclear sites and share information about its nuclear materials.Iran claims that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, Israel and the US have been alleging that Iran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons. Israel says it attacked Iran to stop it from getting its own nuclear weapons.The G7 countries said the United Nations' nuclear rules, called the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), must be respected. Iran is part of this treaty, but Israel is not.In a joint statement, the ministers strongly denounced threats made against Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA. A hardline Iranian newspaper had called for his arrest and execution, calling him an agent of Israel. The G7 condemned it and said such calls were unacceptable.On June 12, the IAEA's 35-member board declared that Iran had violated the non-proliferation agreement for the first time in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said the talks with Iran were "promising" and expressed hope for a long-term peace deal.- EndsWith inputs from agenciesTune InMust Watch