CAPRI: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refrained from commenting on reports of an Israeli attack on Iran during a press briefing Following a meeting with G7 counterparts in Capri, Italy, on Friday.
He said that Washington was not involved in any offensive operation and reiterated the focus on de-escalation efforts.
Blinken declined to comment on explosions in Iran or reports of retaliatory strikes by Israel despite repeated questions from journalists.
Addressing reporters earlier, G7 host Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, mentioned that the United States had received advance notice of the strikes, though specifics were not provided.
The reports regarding the alleged strikes dominated discussions within the G7, prompting adjustments to the agenda, but little public information was disclosed.
In their final statement, the Group of Seven ministers urged all parties to work towards preventing further escalation in light of the reported strikes on April 19th. The G7 reaffirmed its commitment to promoting de-escalation efforts.
“In light of recent events, we call upon all parties to refrain from actions that could exacerbate the situation,” the ministers from Italy, the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan, and Canada stated.
They demanded that Iran and its affiliated groups halt their attacks and emphasized holding the Iranian government accountable for any destabilizing actions.
The G7 signaled readiness to impose additional sanctions or pursue other measures to address destabilizing actions. Reports of explosions in Iran’s central province of Isfahan raised further concerns, with US officials indicating Israeli involvement in retaliatory strikes.
Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated following Iran’s firing of missiles and drones at Israel nearly a week ago in response to a strike on Iran’s consular annex in Syria, which Tehran attributed to Israel.
