G7 Warns Iran Over Continuing Nuclear Program Escalation 

A national Iranian flag waves in the wind over a building of the Iranian embassy, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 24, 2022. (Reuters) 
A national Iranian flag waves in the wind over a building of the Iranian embassy, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 24, 2022. (Reuters) 
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G7 Warns Iran Over Continuing Nuclear Program Escalation 

A national Iranian flag waves in the wind over a building of the Iranian embassy, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 24, 2022. (Reuters) 
A national Iranian flag waves in the wind over a building of the Iranian embassy, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 24, 2022. (Reuters) 

The Group of Seven leaders warned Iran on Friday against advancing its nuclear enrichment program and said they would be ready to enforce new measures if Tehran were to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia, according to a draft communique. 

"We urge Tehran to cease and reverse nuclear escalations, and stop the continuing uranium enrichment activities that have no credible civilian justifications," the statement seen by Reuters said. 

Iran has rapidly installed extra uranium-enriching centrifuges at its Fordow site and begun setting up others, a UN nuclear watchdog report said on Thursday. 

Iran is now enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the 90% of weapons grade, and has enough material enriched to that level, if enriched further, for three nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick. 

"Iran must engage in serious dialogue and provide convincing assurances that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, in full cooperation and compliance with the IAEA’s monitoring and verification mechanism, including the Board of Governors’ resolution of 5 June," the G7 said. 

Iran says its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. 

The leaders also warned Iran about concluding a deal to send ballistic missiles to Russia that would help it in its war against Ukraine, saying they were prepared to respond with significant measures if it were to happen. 

"We call on Iran to stop assisting Russia’s war in Ukraine and not to transfer ballistic missiles and related technology, as this would represent a substantive material escalation and a direct threat to European security," they said. 



Russia’s Zakharova Says Peace Settlement in Ukraine Has Never Been on ‘Real Agenda’ of the West

The site of a Russian strike on a sports complex in a residential area in Kharkiv, northern Ukraine, 26 July 2025. (EPA)
The site of a Russian strike on a sports complex in a residential area in Kharkiv, northern Ukraine, 26 July 2025. (EPA)
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Russia’s Zakharova Says Peace Settlement in Ukraine Has Never Been on ‘Real Agenda’ of the West

The site of a Russian strike on a sports complex in a residential area in Kharkiv, northern Ukraine, 26 July 2025. (EPA)
The site of a Russian strike on a sports complex in a residential area in Kharkiv, northern Ukraine, 26 July 2025. (EPA)

Peace talks and a settlement in Ukraine have never been on the real agenda of the West, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday, in her first comments on negotiations since Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks on Wednesday.

If the West wanted "real peace" in Ukraine, it would stop supplying Kyiv with weapons, Zakharova said in comments reported by TASS news agency.

Earlier, in her weekly briefing on Thursday, she had declined to comment on the talks.