The Foreign Ministers of Seven Industrialized Nations Emphasize the Need to Prevent the Islamic Republic from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons

On Saturday, February 17, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to preventing the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons. In their statement, made after their meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the foreign ministers of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the EU's foreign policy chief expressed deep concern over the continuous escalation of Iran's nuclear program, which has no civilian justification and is alarmingly close to actual weapon-related activities. According to the G7 foreign ministers, a diplomatic solution remains the best approach to address international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear program. In another part of the joint statement, the G7 foreign ministers described Iran's ongoing arms shipments to the Houthis as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and stated that the Islamic Republic has dangerously increased tensions in the region by supplying weapons to militia groups. They condemned the Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, reminding that these attacks violate international law and threaten the lives of innocent people as well as maritime rights and freedoms, and expressed their support for the right of states to defend themselves against such attacks. The G7 foreign ministers emphasized the need to cooperate with their regional partners in the Middle East to prevent the escalation of conflicts, particularly regarding the situation along the 'Blue Line' at the Israel-Lebanon border and the risk of escalating conflicts between Hezbollah and Israel. In another part of their statement, the G7 foreign ministers called for an end to Iran's military assistance to Russia. They also expressed their outrage over the death of Alexei Navalny, a critic of Putin and leader of the Russian opposition, in prison, demanding full transparency regarding the circumstances leading to his death and urging the Putin government to end the harassment of dissenters and the suppression of free speech. The G7 foreign ministers reaffirmed their strong commitment to continue providing military, financial, political, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine in the face of Putin's invasion. In another part of the statement, the seven industrialized nations strongly condemned the terrorist attack by Hamas and Palestinian groups on Israel on October 7, called for the release of all hostages, and supported Israel's right to defend itself. They also called for immediate attention to the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, especially the plight of one and a half million Palestinian refugees in Rafah, stating that all parties must adhere to the necessity of providing humanitarian aid, including food, water, medicine, and fuel to Palestinians residing in Gaza. CENTCOM reported the destruction of militia weapons; the continued missile attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea; the U.S. response to the unveiling of missile systems in Iran: 'We will use all deterrence tools'; the U.S. has once again placed Iran-backed Houthis on the list of 'global terrorists'; the U.S. response to Iran's missile test: 'It has no effect on U.S. regional decisions'; the Director-General's warning: 'The Islamic Republic is not fully transparent about its nuclear program'; the Israeli army: 'Dozens of terrorists arrested in Nasser Hospital; attacks on positions in Lebanon and Syria'; discussions on Gaza's future in Munich; talks between the foreign ministers of the U.S., Arab countries, and European nations; Biden: 'Putin is responsible for Alexei Navalny's death.'