US President Donald Trump has backed a joint G7 leaders’ statement supporting the recent agreement reached between the United States and Iran, while calling for further negotiations to address Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and regional activities.
I’m the boss,” Trump said as he strode in to the morning session of the last day of the three-day G7 summit, with the other leaders already in their seats.
In a statement, issued at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, the group welcomed the memorandum of understanding expected to be signed by Washington and Tehran in Switzerland on Friday, describing it as an opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
According to the G7 leaders, “The agreement provides an historic opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon and tackling the threats related to its regional and ballistic activities. We support and are ready to contribute to its implementation.”
The memorandum reportedly reaffirms Iran’s opposition to possessing nuclear weapons, provides for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and includes the lifting of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports and related industries. It also proposes the creation of a $300 billion reconstruction fund, although the United States has indicated it does not intend to contribute financially. Despite supporting the deal, the G7 leaders said additional negotiations would be required.
The statement noted that the group “strongly support a robust and comprehensive diplomatic follow-on agreement to the memorandum of understanding secured by President Trump that can bring peace and security for all in the region.” The proposed follow-up talks would seek to address issues not covered in the memorandum, including Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for regional proxy groups.
The leaders also suggested that future negotiations would benefit from broader international involvement, including participation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog. However, Iran is expected to resist any expansion of the talks, having negotiated exclusively with the United States and repeatedly dismissed European involvement as unnecessary.
The G7 statement also endorsed a French and British initiative aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz following recent tensions in the region. According to the leaders, “The multinational, independent and defensive initiative led by France and the UK can play an important role to facilitate the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The proposed mission would focus on safeguarding merchant vessels, reassuring shipping operators and helping verify the removal of any naval mines from the strategic waterway. On the war in Ukraine, G7 leaders reaffirmed their support for Kyiv and called for increased military assistance and stronger sanctions against Russia.
The statement said, “We agree to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities.” The leaders also pledged to intensify pressure on Russia’s economy through additional sanctions, including measures targeting the country’s oil and gas sectors.
The summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together leaders of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. Trump’s support for the joint statement marks a rare instance of alignment with other G7 leaders on issues relating to Iran and Ukraine, despite previous disagreements over international diplomacy and security policy.
The US president has faced criticism from some political opponents and supporters alike over the Iran agreement, with critics arguing that the deal falls short of several objectives previously outlined by Washington. Nevertheless, G7 leaders said they believe the agreement creates an opportunity to reduce tensions in the Middle East while laying the groundwork for broader negotiations on regional security issues.
