"Trump decides not to sign G7 joint statement on Iran-Israel"

NYT, citing White House officials

"Focused on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons"

It was reported that President Donald Trump of the United States decided not to sign the G7 leaders' joint statement urging de-escalation between Israel and Iran.

The US daily The New York Times (NYT) reported this on the 16th (local time), citing a White House official who requested anonymity.

The official did not mention the reason why President Trump decided not to sign the joint statement. Meanwhile, the NYT reported that although President Trump declined to sign, he remains focused on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

A draft of the joint statement obtained by NYT expressed deep concern over the war that began with Israel's surprise preemptive strike on the 13th, urging both nations to cease hostilities. It also recognized the need to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons and explicitly supported Israel's right to self-defense, urging both sides to de-escalate tensions.

The main point of the draft, according to NYT, was to state that diplomacy is the best way to resolve the conflict, demanding that both sides stop fighting, come to the negotiating table, and resolve issues related to Iran's nuclear program.

A G7 official, speaking anonymously, said that the wording of this draft was not final and that G7 leaders attending the summit in Canada would continue discussions regarding the current Middle East situation on the 16th and 17th.

Steffen Seibert, the German government spokesperson, noted that it was unclear whether the US would sign this joint statement, saying, "The release of a G7 statement on the Middle East depends on the US decision."

Before leaving for the G7 summit on the 15th, President Trump met with the White House press and, while urging both Israel and Iran to negotiate, remarked, "Sometimes countries have to fight first to resolve things."

President Trump, who had held five rounds of negotiations this year to persuade Iran to give up nuclear weapon development, stated, "I hope for a (ceasefire) agreement. I think it's time to negotiate." In an ABC News interview released the same day, he suggested that the US could play a mediating role, and said he was "open" to the idea of Russian President Vladimir Putin acting as a mediator.

Hye-won Ahn, Hankyung.com reporter anhw@hankyung.com