G7 leaders condemn Iran's attack on Israel and warn of risk of escalation

The leaders of the Group of Seven countries condemned Iran's attack on Israel and said on Sunday that they would try to prevent "uncontrolled regional escalation" in the Middle East. Reuters writes , UNN reports.

Through its actions, Iran has taken a further step toward destabilizing the region and risks provoking an uncontrolled regional escalation. This must be avoided. ... In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its allies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further action now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives.

Details

The G7 leaders, who spoke for just under an hour via videoconference, called on Iran to exercise restraint. In the statement, the G7 also pledged to work toward an "immediate and lasting ceasefire" in Gaza after more than six months of fighting.

The meeting of the G7 heads came after US President Joe Biden promised a coordinated diplomatic response to Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack overnight.

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The G7 consists of the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. They have also scheduled a meeting of foreign ministers on the same issue for April 17-19 on the Italian island of Capri.

President Biden, in turn, warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States would not participate in a counteroffensive against Iran if Israel decided to retaliate.

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Recall

Iran fired about 300 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles toward Israel on Saturday evening in response to Israel's April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard officers, including two senior commanders.

Israel said that it intercepted about 99 percent of the shells and drones launched at their country.

Iran claims that carried out the attack in response to an alleged Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1, which killed senior Revolutionary Guard commanders, and said they had the right to self-defense.