G7 Denounces ‘Brutal’ Iran Protest Crackdown

 Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations during their meeting in Muenster, Germany on Friday, November 4, 2022. (AFP)
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations during their meeting in Muenster, Germany on Friday, November 4, 2022. (AFP)
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G7 Denounces ‘Brutal’ Iran Protest Crackdown

 Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations during their meeting in Muenster, Germany on Friday, November 4, 2022. (AFP)
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations during their meeting in Muenster, Germany on Friday, November 4, 2022. (AFP)

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations condemned on Friday Tehran’s response to a wave of protests in Iran sparked by the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

They threatened the Iranian regime to continue to use all available diplomatic measures to hold the authorities accountable, hinting at the possibility of imposing further sanctions as a punishment for repressing demonstrators.

“We further condemn the brutal and disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters,” the ministers said in a statement after two days of talks in the German city of Muenster.

They called on Iran to allow access to the country for relevant UN Human Rights Special Procedures mandate holders to assess the situation in the country following the repression and arbitrary arrests.

The G7 nations, which is made up of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, urged Iranian authorities to honor their international obligations under international law.

The ministers expressed regret at the authorities’ decision to shut down the internet and social media, adding that they “advocate the right of all Iranians to access information.”

They called on the Iranian authorities to release unjustly detained prisoners, including recently arrested protesters, children, journalists and human rights defenders, and ensure accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses.

The statement called on Tehran to release dual citizens and end the “repellent practice of such unjust detentions in hopes of political gain.”

Germany's government on Thursday urged its citizens to leave Iran or risk arbitrary arrest and long prison terms there, warning that dual nationals were particularly at risk.

The two-day meeting also tackled Iran’s destabilizing activities, and the ministers condemned its continued activities in and around the Middle East.

These include Iran’s activities with both ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, and transfers of such advanced weaponry to state and non-state actors.

“Such proliferation is destabilizing for the region and escalates already high tensions,” the statement stressed.

The ministers also reiterated their clear determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.

“The G7 will continue working together, and with other international partners, to address Iran’s nuclear escalation and insufficient cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding its Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards agreement.”

They said they are “deeply concerned by the unabated expansion of Iran’s nuclear program, which has no credible civilian justification.”

They called on Iran to change course and fulfil its legal obligations and political commitments in the field of nuclear non-proliferation without further delay.

The statement also noted that despite many months of intense negotiations on a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran has not made the necessary decisions.



Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, “assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.”

Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations.”

Following the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.

Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency’s request for cooperation "case by case,” based on Iran’s interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's “security” concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. “The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious,” he said.

"The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," he added.

"For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined."

He also reiterated Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium on its soil. US President Donald Trump has insisted that cannot happen.

Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country’s nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.