Trump Won’t Sign G7 Statement Calling for Middle East Calm After Mulling Bombing Iran
(Alex Brandon/AP photo)
President Donald Trump plans to withhold his signature from a joint G7 statement urging de-escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran, CNN reported Monday.
The network’s Kevin Liptak reported that a draft statement affirms Israel’s right to self-defense and opposes Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. It also calls for cooler heads to prevail amid days of Israeli attacks on Iran and Iranian counterstrikes on Israel.
Trump does not intend to sign the document in Canada alongside his Canadian and European counterparts at the summit in Alberta.
A White House source told CNN, “Under the strong leadership of President Trump, the United States is back to leading the effort to restore peace around the world. President Trump will continue to work towards ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.”
Trump’s reported decision not to sign the document comes just a day after Trump told ABC News he had not ruled out direct military intervention in Iran in support of Israel.
“We’re not involved in it. It’s possible we could get involved,” Trump said on Sunday. “But we are not at this moment involved.”
While Trump has not ruled out using the U.S. military against Iran, he has reportedly urged restraint regarding taking out political leadership in Iran.
Trump vetoed a proposed Israeli operation to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in recent days, Reuters and Fox News both reported Sunday. Israeli officials have denied that the report is accurate.
Israel has reportedly asked Trump to use American airmen to help knock out what remains of Iran’s nuclear program.
The president has said publicly since Israel began targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure last week that he still hopes Tehran comes to the table to agree to a peaceful resolution.
The U.S. has not intervened in Iran but has provided Israel with intelligence and has helped to shoot down rockets from some Iranian counterstrikes, many of which have pierced through Israeli missile defense systems in recent days.
