Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) reiterated Tuesday their clear commitment that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.
They called on the Iranian government to benefit from the available diplomatic opportunity to return to the nuclear deal.
This comes as indirect takes between Washington and Tehran to revive the nuclear pact will resume soon through the European Union mediation.
In a final communique from Elmau, Germany, the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) expressed regret that despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), Iran has not yet seized the opportunity to conclude a deal.
It pledged to working together, and with other international partners, to address the threat posed to international security by Iran’s nuclear escalation, stressing that the diplomatic solution remains the best way to restrict Iran’s nuclear program and force it to fulfill its legal obligations with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The communique strongly condemned Tehran’s continued destabilizing activity in the Middle East region, calling upon Iran to stop all ballistic missile activities and proliferation that threaten maritime security in the Gulf.
The G7 leaders further welcomed regional initiatives to improve bilateral relations between partners in the region and called on Iran to contribute “actively and constructively to fostering regional peace and security in the Middle East.”
They also reiterated their shared profound concern over the continued human rights violations and abuses in Iran, including arbitrary arrest and detention, and condemn Iran’s increased use of capital punishment.
US President Joe Biden and French, British and German leaders held a meeting on the last day of the G7 summit, during which they discussed Iran’s nuclear file and the possibility of its return to the deal.
The EU is looking to diversify its energy sources to reduce demand and stabilize oil prices, which have risen significantly due to the war in Ukraine.
“There are resources elsewhere that need to be explored,” a French official said on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Germany, when asked about how to alleviate high oil prices.
The outstanding issue between Iran and the United States was no longer linked to the nuclear dossier but to US terrorism sanctions, he said.
“So there is a knot that needs to be untied if applicable... to get Iranian oil back on the market,” the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We have Venezuelan oil that also needs to come back to the market.”
