G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran
Jerusalem: Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Meanwhile, an apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan. It came days after Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on Israel.
Israel also carried out a missile strike targeting an air defence unit in southern Syria, causing material damage, state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying Friday.
Israel had vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented weekend attack, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of fighting in Gaza. Allies have urged Israel to hold back on any response to the attack that could spiral.
Regional tensions have increased since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war on October 7, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad — two militant groups backed by Iran — carried out a cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and killed more than 33,900 people, according to local health officials.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday the United States was not involved in any “offensive operations” in the apparent Israeli drone attack in Iran, but declined to respond to claims that Israel gave the US advance notice of the action.
“I’m not going to speak to that except to say that the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations,” Blinken said.
Asked to describe the current US-Israel relationship, Blinken noted that Israel makes its own decisions, but the United States is committed to its security.
“We are committed to helping Israel defend itself and as necessary participating in its defence, as you saw just a few days ago,” Blinken said. “Again, Israel makes its decisions, but we have a commitment to defending it.
“And you saw an unprecedented attack from Iran, and Israel and the United States and others worked with Israel to make sure that that attack would not have devastating consequences. And thankfully, it did not.”
Russian authorities have informed Israel that Iran isn’t seeking to escalate the conflict, Russia’s top diplomat said in an interview broadcast live on Friday.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told several Russian radio stations that Russia’s leadership was in contact with their counterparts in Iran, and Russian officials were also in touch with the Israelis.
“We very clearly outlined in these conversations and conveyed to the Israelis that Iran does not want escalation,” Lavrov said after news broke of an apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran.
Iran could “not respond to a gross violation of international law and status of a diplomatic mission, but it doesn’t want escalation,” the official added.
The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received “last minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, Italy’s foreign minister said.
