The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations issued a joint statement from their summit in Alberta, Canada, on Tuesday, supporting Israel’s right to self-defense and making it clear that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
The joint statement, posted online by the office of summit host Prime Minister Mark Carney, reads in its entirety:
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.
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 G7 nations include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
President Donald Trump departed early from the summit on Monday night to return to the White House, reportedly to address the Iran-Israel conflict. Both Trump and his office have been somewhat evasive about his exact reason for leaving the G7 meeting early.
An administration official told reporters on Monday that Trump refused to sign the joint statement by the G7 until the “initial draft language” was amended to his satisfaction.
The UK Telegraph reported on Monday that an early version of the joint statement “called for both sides to protect civilians, and for tight monitoring of Iran’s nuclear facilities.” The unnamed administration official who briefed reporters on Monday said Trump found that version of the statement unacceptable because it would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium under more stringent monitoring.
The G7 summit continued until Tuesday, with the remaining leaders frowning upon media headlines that called it a diminished “Group of Six” after Trump’s departure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte attended the summit on its final day.
Although Trump returned to Washington, his trade team remained in Alberta, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.
Bessent sat in for Trump during sessions on Tuesday, including the meeting with Zelensky. Trump was originally scheduled to meet with Zelensky and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, but those meetings became impossible when he returned to Washington.
“We did everything I had to do at the G7. We had a good G7,” Trump told reporters on his flight home.
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