Girls wave Iranian flags during a protest in central Tehran following Israeli strikes that killed senior Iranian officials and damaged key facilities. June 13, 2025. (Photo: ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Iran has strongly criticised the Group of Seven (G7) nations for what it calls a biased position in the ongoing conflict with Israel, now entering its fifth day.
In a statement on Tuesday, Iran’s foreign ministry accuses the G7 of “siding with Israel” after leaders at a summit in Canada called for de-escalation while reaffirming Israel’s right to self-defence.
“The G7 must give up its one-sided rhetoric and tackle the real source of the escalation — Israel’s aggression,” said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.
Iran claims that Israel initiated an unprovoked assault, violating international law and the UN Charter.
“Israel has launched an unprovoked war of aggression… hundreds of innocent people have been killed, our public and state facilities and people’s homes are brutally demolished,” Baqaei said.
Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on June 13, targeting over 100 locations across Iran, including nuclear facilities and military command centres. The strikes reportedly killed several high-ranking officials, including Iran’s armed forces chief and senior nuclear scientists.
At the G7 summit, which included leaders from the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, the final communiqué supported Israel’s right to self-defence and warned Iran against developing nuclear weapons.
“We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself… Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror,” the G7 statement read.
“We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
The G7 also urged that the conflict be resolved through diplomatic means and reiterated its commitment to “peace and stability” in the region.
Iran, however, insists that it is acting in self-defence, with Baqaei questioning whether the country “really has any other choice.”
The escalating violence has drawn international concern, with observers warning of the potential for broader regional destabilisation. Calls for renewed diplomatic engagement have intensified as the conflict deepens.
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