The Secretary of State of the USA, Anthony Blinken, affirmed today that his country ‘is not involved in offensive operations,’ concerning the explosions recorded this morning in Iran, following the conclusion of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Capri, which advocated for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East. For several days now, the government of Vladimir Putin has warned that if the USA attacks Iran, Russia will intervene to support its ally.
During Thursday night and early Friday morning, Israel launched an attack on Iran in retaliation for events that occurred a few days ago in cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Tensions increased in the last few hours as several Israeli missiles were reported to have targeted Isfahan, where three nuclear reactors are located. The Isfahan Nuclear Facility is a nuclear installation located in the center of the country and has been the focus of international attention due to concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, especially regarding uranium enrichment and the potential military implications of its nuclear activities.
The G7 Calls for a De-Escalation in the Conflict Between Israel and Iran
The summit of the G7 Foreign Ministers on the Italian island of Capri concluded this Friday with a strong call for détente between Iran and Israel, but without imposing new sanctions on the ayatollah regime, only with a threat in case of not contributing to regional stabilization.
“We have condemned Iran’s recent attack on Israel. The G7 supports Israel’s security, but we invite all parties to avoid escalation,” summarized the host minister, Antonio Tajani, in the final press conference.
The diplomatic conclave took place in Capri while tensions continued to shake the planet. “It’s a very beautiful place, but the world is not like that,” was the message from the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. Its conclusion was preceded by the presumably Israeli bombing of Iran, in response to Iranian missiles from a week ago, retaliation in turn for the attack on its consulate in Damascus, and with the Gaza war always as a dramatic backdrop.
The G7 ministers -Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom- called on Tehran to “end its relationship” with the Palestinian militia Hamas or the Lebanese Hezbollah. And, although they had indicated their intention to consider new sanctions against the ayatollahs, their will remained only in words contained in a final document.
“We demand that Iran and its affiliated groups cease their attacks. We will consider the Iranian government responsible for its malicious and destabilizing actions and are willing to adopt new sanctions or take other measures,” they warned.
The bloc also reaffirmed its commitment to an “immediate and sustainable” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to thus achieve the release of the hostages still in the hands of the Islamist Hamas after the attack on October 7, which unleashed the conflict. Likewise, the G7 rejected any offensive in the Gaza town of Rafah. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that his country “is not involved in offensive operations,” about the explosions recorded this morning in Iran, and emphasized its commitment to the defense of Israel.
And, in his appearance, he directly blamed Hamas for the disaster in Gaza: “The world needs to know that the only thing standing between the population of Gaza and the ceasefire is Hamas. They have rejected generous proposals from Israel,” he asserted.
Another major issue at the G7 meeting was the situation of the resistance in Ukraine more than two years after the country’s invasion and a decade after Moscow’s takeover of Crimea. That’s why the ministers invited their Ukrainian colleague, Dmitrò Kuleba, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to the summit, who will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky today.
On the G7 agenda was especially the shortage of ammunition facing the Ukrainian front and the continuous requests from Kyiv for essential support: anti-aircraft systems. Because, as Stoltenberg warned the day before, every delay in aid to the Ukrainian resistance “costs lives and damage” in the face of a Russia that does not loosen its pressure on the defensive lines.
In the final document, the G7 merely expressed its “particular determination to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.” Kuleba has maintained various bilateral relationships, also with Blinken, urging his partners to maintain their support for Kyiv, but also thanking the latest investments, especially the processing of a new $61 billion package by the US Congress after months of deadlock.
The summit in Capri addressed numerous global issues, from relations with Africa, maritime security in the Red Sea, and migration flows in the Mediterranean, to the situation in the Sahel, a region shaken by the crimes of militias affiliated with Moscow. But another important point of the conclave was the one acknowledging, in writing, the “importance of building a stable relationship” with China, a “key interlocutor to address global challenges.” The G7, in conclusion, is “willing to cooperate” with Beijing on issues of common interest, while maintaining support for Taiwan, one of the stumbling blocks in the relationship between blocs.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernandez in Cultura Colectiva News.
