G7 Foreign Ministers: Iran Should Help Reduce Tensions in the Region

The foreign ministers of the G7 issued a statement during the United Nations General Assembly, urging Iran to cooperate in reducing tensions in the region or face reactions from these industrialized nations. This statement, released on Tuesday, October 3, following a meeting of G7 foreign ministers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan in New York, expresses deep concern over the escalation of conflicts in the Gaza Strip on one hand and between Hezbollah and Israel on the other, stating that these conditions could embroil the entire Middle East in a widespread war with unimaginable consequences. The G7 foreign ministers supported the mediation efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by the extremist group Hamas, emphasizing the solution of establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel and calling for the unity of Gaza and the West Bank under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. The statement then refers to Iran's role in regional developments, accusing Iran of exacerbating instability in the region through its actions. The G7 foreign ministers emphasized that Iran should help reduce tensions in the region, otherwise they are prepared to impose heavier sanctions or take other actions in response to Iran's actions. Hezbollah is considered an Iranian proxy, and thus, with the intensification of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, concerns about Iran's entry into this war have also increased. Axios reported that Hezbollah Lebanon has requested Iran to attack Israel. On Monday, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister currently in New York, warned in response to Israeli attacks that Tehran would not remain indifferent to these events and stands with the people of Lebanon and Palestine. Meanwhile, Axios reported, citing two Israeli officials and a Western diplomat, that Hezbollah Lebanon has asked Tehran to attack Israel following the increasing Israeli attacks in recent days, but Iran has refrained from doing so so far. According to the two Israeli officials, Iranian officials told Hezbollah that now is not the 'right time' to attack Israel, as Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, is currently attending the UN General Assembly in New York. In a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Pezeshkian called for an end to the extensive Israeli attacks against Hezbollah Lebanon. He also criticized the United States' withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, emphasizing that Iran is ready to engage with the parties of the JCPOA and that a new round of talks could begin considering Tehran's 'security' concerns. Part of the G7 foreign ministers' statement also refers to the nuclear program, emphasizing that Tehran should never acquire nuclear weapons. The statement calls on Iranian leaders to halt nuclear activities that have no credible civilian justification and to cooperate promptly with the International Atomic Energy Agency.