On 16 June, President Trump announced that he would not be signing any joint statement on Israel and Iran at the G7 Summit in Canada.

The following day, 17 June, he signed the “G7 leaders’ statement on recent developments between Israel and Iran”. This official text was agreed by the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European Union.

“We, the G7 leaders, reaffirm our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. In this context, we affirm that Israel has the right to defend itself. We reaffirm our support for Israel’s security. We also affirm the importance of protecting civilians. Iran is the main source of regional instability and terrorism.

We have always made it clear that Iran can never possess nuclear weapons. We call for the resolution of the Iranian crisis to lead to broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. We will remain vigilant about the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate with like-minded partners to safeguard market stability.”

Immediately afterwards, Trump presented himself as a “mediator” between Israel and Iran. He officially reiterated that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” He also demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.“

The Wall Street Journal writes:

“In a twist, US diplomacy served as cover for the Israeli surprise attack. The talks, seen as a way to keep the peace, gave Israel the opportunity to deliver heavy military blows.”

The US has so far participated in the war by helping Israel to hit targets in Iran, as well as intercepting drones and missiles launched by Iran in retaliation. Now, it is preparing to participate directly in the bombing of Iran.

These preparations can be seen in radar tracks. In the US, military cargo planes and air tankers are moving eastwards, indicating the rapid deployment of forces for a large-scale operation. Several US Air Force air tankers are refuelling fighter-bombers flying from the US to Europe, and then on to the Middle East. Meanwhile, Great Britain and France are deploying air forces to the Middle East. Military experts have stated that the US Air Force has the capability to launch 30,000-pound (approximately 14-ton) bunker buster bombs into Iranian civilian nuclear facilities. These bombs can penetrate and explode deep underground.

Significantly, the Iranian Parliament approved the Strategic Partnership Treaty with Russia while Iran was under attack.

The Treaty, comprising a preamble and 47 articles, was signed on 17 January at the conclusion of talks in the Kremlin by Russian and Iranian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian. Article 1 states:

‘The contracting parties will seek to deepen and expand relations in all areas of mutual interest, strengthen cooperation in the field of security and defence, and closely coordinate activities at regional and global levels in line with a comprehensive, long-term, strategic partnership.’

This confirms the close relationship between the war scenario in Europe against Russia and the scenario in the Middle East: Iran, a member of the BRICS, is a key junction of the North-South Transport Corridor opened by Russia after the Western blockade and, at the same time, an important junction of the New Silk Road from China to Europe.

Comitato NO GUERRA NO NATO

Against this backdrop, the possibility of nuclear war is increasing sharply.

Israel, the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear arsenal, is estimated to possess at least 90 warheads and enough fissile material to produce hundreds more.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, estimates that 30 countries are capable of developing nuclear weapons.

Nine countries currently possess nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.

Five other countries harbour US nuclear weapons.

They are in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. These countries are party to the Treaty: Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey. Belarus has recently joined them in hosting nuclear weapons.

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This article was originally published in Italian on Grandangolo, Byoblu TV.

Manlio Dinucci, award-winning author, geopolitical analyst and geographer, Pisa, Italy. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).  

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