The finance ministers of the Group of Seven (G-7) condemned Iran’s “unprecedented attack” against Israeli territory, vowing close cooperation to impose new sanctions on Tehran.
“We will ensure close coordination of any future measure to diminish Iran’s ability to acquire, produce, or transfer weapons to support its destabilizing regional activities,” read the statement released Wednesday by G-7 finance ministers following negotiations on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC.
The ministers also warned against any regional escalation and its concomitant economic risks, particularly those to international shipping.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who hosts this round of G7 summit, said Thursday that the foreign ministers of the group “will address the most sensitive issues on the agenda.” He elaborated, “We will certainly discuss the Middle East issue. We are friends of Israel, and we support Israel, but we want de-escalation in that area. We will also have to address how to sanction Iran in some way for the attack with hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel.”
“We will also have to deal with the other situation in the Middle East, and the maritime traffic through Suez and the Red Sea, an issue that involves all our countries since the merchant traffic is threatened by the Houthis,” he added.
Since November, Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis have been engaged in a blockade in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in a bid to force a ceasefire on Israel. The group launched its campaign to attack Israeli vessels but it has since expanded to all global shipping.
On Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard seized a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship that they said was "affiliated with" Israel near the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, European Union leaders pledged more sanctions against Iran, urging the regime and its proxies to put an end to their attacks in the region.
The EU “will take further restrictive measures against Iran, notably in relation to unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles,” said the statement issued Wednesday after the first day of the bloc leaders’ summit in Brussels.
On Saturday night, Iran launched its first ever direct offensive against Israeli territory with more than 350 drones and cruise and ballistic missiles.
French President Emanuel Macron stressed that the new sanctions should target “those who are helping to produce the missiles and drones that were used” in Iran’s offensive.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz welcomed the EU's decision to ramp up Iran’s sanctions, calling it “an important step on the way to defanging the snake.” According to Katz, “Iran must be stopped now before it is too late.”
Amid a wave of international condemnation, the Permanent Representatives of 48 countries at the United Nations condemned Iran’s attack on Israeli territory in a joint statement on Wednesday.
“We unequivocally condemn the April 13 attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its militant partners on the State of Israel, which involved launching several hundred ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones against multiple targets, and note this large-scale attack could have caused significant damage and loss of life,” read the statement.
They also lambasted Iran’s move to “violate” the airspace of several regional countries such as Jordan which helped intercept the barrage, noting that it endangered the lives of innocent people.