G7 attitude toward Israel criticized by Iran

Iran accused G7 nations of siding with Israel on Tuesday, and of not being able to tell right from wrong when calling for "de-escalation" of the conflict involving the two nations.

"The G7 must give up its one-sided rhetoric and tackle the real source of the escalation – Israel's aggression," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, said while adding the country had been exposed to "illegal attacks on our peaceful nuclear infrastructure, the indiscriminate targeting of residential areas, and the killing of our citizens".

"Iran is defending itself against a cruel aggression. Does Iran really have any other choice?" he said.

The G7 group of major Western countries issued a statement during its meeting in Alberta, Canada, saying its leaders "affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself" and that "we reiterate our support for the security of Israel".

But, contrary to the G7's talk about "self-defense", Iran noted that it was Israel that launched surprise attacks on Iran early Friday morning, hitting its nuclear facilities, military installations, and several cities.

The airstrikes specifically targeted leading nuclear scientists and high-ranking military commanders.

Israel's leaders have said they succeeded in what they called the pre-emptive strikes, which other nations saw as aggression in violation of international law.

In response, Iran's military forces have launched missile and drone attacks on Israel since Friday.

Iran noted that, instead of talking about Israel's aggression, the G7 accused Iran of being "the principal source of regional instability and terror" in the communique, and added "we have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon".

Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, which have been banned by the country's supreme leader. Israel, however, is widely believed to possess about 100 nuclear warheads.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 224 people, mostly civilians, according to Iranian sources. At least 24 people have been killed in Israel.

"Rather than condemning Israel's illegal actions, the G7 has chosen to blame and isolate the victim, Iran, simply for defending its sovereignty," said Abdolreza Alami, director of the Asia West East Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "The G7's final statement is not just politically biased – it's a moral failure, exposing the hollowness of international law in the hands of those who should be its defenders."

In 2015, Iran signed a nuclear deal known as the JCPOA with China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Russia.

The United States withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and fellow G7 members France, Germany, and the UK failed to implement it.

Jan Yumul in Hong Kong contributed to this report.