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G7 Issues Joint Statement on the Israel-Iran War
John Kirton, G7 Research Group
June 16, 2025
The first full day of the G7’s Kananaskis Summit, on June 16, 2025, culminated with the first communiqué and one agreed by all G7 leaders, including US president Donald Trump. It dealt with the most recent crisis that had erupted on the summit’s eve: the war between Israel and Iran. This 131-word “G7 Leaders’ Statement on Recent Developments between Israel and Iran” issued at 21h30 MT, began by stating that “we the leaders of the G7 reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.” It went on to affirm Israel’s right to defend itself, declare support for the security of Israel and affirm the importance of the protection of civilians. It declared that Iran was the “principal source of regional instability and terror.” It then stated that “we have been consistently clear that Iran can never have nuclear weapons.” Only then did it urge that a resolution of the Iranian crisis lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East as a whole, including a ceasefire in Gaza. Leaders then committed to “remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability.” It thus produced a total of three commitments.
This statement came as a great surprise, for two reasons. The decision had earlier been to issue all statements only at the end of the summit on the afternoon of the last day. Moreover, although European members had urged the G7 leaders to issue a statement on the war between Israel and Iran, Donald Trump had refused to agree to the proposed draft, which emphasized that both Israel and Iran immediately de-escalate their conflict. It had remained possible that Trump would change his mind and agree, or that the statement itself would accommodate his views. It was clear that the latter happened as the statement tilted towards the Israeli side of the conflict with no recognition of the fact that Israel had initiated this phase of the deadly conflict by attacking Iran on June 13. Still the document showed that the G7 leaders could produce, on the spot, a unified statement from all, on one of the most dangerous issues they faced erupting at the last minute, on top of a very crowded agenda. Time will tell how much impact this clear set of commitments will help bring Israel and Iran back from the brink and pave the path towards a more enduring and balanced peace between them, and more broadly in the Middle East.
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