The G7 of Foreign Ministers kicks off in Capri. There are many thorny issues on the table of a summit which, in the words of the host Antonio Tajani, aims to be about “peace and stability”. Starting from the crisis in the Middle East, where the war of nerves between Iran and Israel risks resulting in an open clash and dragging the entire region into chaos. And while, Tajani said, “a solution is being sought to inflict sanctions on Iran”, in Gaza the negotiators continue to frantically seek an agreement on the ceasefire and the release of prisoners, the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave remains disastrous. Connected to the crisis in Gaza, the seven Foreign Ministers of the 'Great' of the Earth (Italy – which assumed the rotating presidency for the seventh time on January 1st – Canada, France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) will discuss also of the situation in the Red Sea, where the Houthis – allies of Iran – continue to threaten merchant traffic, targeting ships linked to Israel.
Agreement in principle on sanctions against individuals Iran
Within the G7 there is a general agreement on the need to impose new sanctions on Iran for the attack against Israel. The restrictive measures, Farnesina sources report, would target individuals and figures who contribute to the supply chain of drones and ballistic missiles used in Ukraine, by the Houthis in the Red Sea and against Israel, which is the same chain of command that supplies them to Russia and Tehran's proxies in the region. A 'political' message would arrive from the G7 meeting in Capri, a wish addressed to the international community. The indication should then be translated into the field by individual countries, as in the case of the United States and the United Kingdom, and by the EU.
Tajani: “We work to de-escalation”
“We will work together to seek unity first and foremost. We will see if a solution can be found to inflict sanctions on Iran and what kind. Yesterday during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the European Union the European orientation was to impose sanctions on those who supply missiles and drones such as those used against Ukraine, against Israel and against merchant ships in the Red Sea”, declared the minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, meeting journalists before the start of the summit.
The head of the Farnesina then underlined that in the bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, scheduled for the next few hours he will talk about de-escalation in the Middle East. “We are working towards a de-escalation. Yesterday I spoke at length with the Foreign Minister of Israel and told him what our position was”, explained Tajani, who referring to the Tehran attack stated that the Jewish State achieved “a military victory because 99% of the missiles and drones did not reach the target and therefore lost the Iranian offensive.”We need to see what will happen, what kind of reaction there will be” from IsraelTajani continued, adding: “We hope that prudence will always prevail. We will certainly all talk about it together. We will work towards a de-escalation”.
Italy, as president of the G7, works for “de-escalation”, assured the head of the Farnesina, who last April 12 gave orders to summon the Iranian ambassador to Rome, before the Islamic Republic left the operation 'True Promise' in the form of hundreds of kamikaze drones and missiles, and resumed dialogue with his counterpart from the Islamic Republic, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. A long dialogue, which lasted about an hour, a clear signal that Italy works for peace.
Bilateral Tajani-Blinken, sanctions on Iran political signal to Israel
The sanctions on Iran on which there is convergence within the G7 Foreign Affairs are a political and solidarity signal to Israel, so that its reaction does not send the situation in the Middle East out of control. This is what emerged from the bilateral meeting in Capri between the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who agreed on the need to accelerate sanctions against Iranian individuals linked to the production and marketing of drones and ballistic missiles also to convince Israel to exercise moderation in its expected retaliation.
Blinken, in particular, believes that Israel's future is in a context of political and security integration with the countries of the region – a clear reference to the normalization process with the Arab countries and the Abraham Accords – and that this is the horizon which Tel Aviv must keep in mind if it decides to react massively against the Islamic Republic. A scenario that appears increasingly probable despite the opposition of the allies. The Secretary of State made it clear that the countries that can continue to dialogue with Iran to make Tehran understand that the attack of 13 April, despite the fact that the ayatollahs consider it 'telephoned', was seen by Israel as a threat to his safety. And Italy can be one of the interlocutors.
Regarding the crisis in Gaza, Tajani and Blinken agreed on the need to quickly reach a truce in the war between Israel and Hamas, obtain the release of the hostages and the massive entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.
War Ukraine Russia
Ample space will then be dedicated to the Ukrainian crisis: in recent days, President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent signs of impatience with the allies' delay in providing military aid to Kiev, highlighting the rapid aid that was instead given to Israel, where an unusual alliance between the Jewish state, the Sunni monarchies, Washington, London, Paris and Amman – for the moment 'one-off' – blocked the spectacular Iranian retaliation, in turn a reaction to the raid against the Pasdaran generals on Easter Monday in Damascus. Zelensky continues to press the American Congress to release the 60 billion in military aid that Kiev considers essential to rebalance forces on the battlefield, where Russia continues its slow advance to the east. Also in Capri are the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, and the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.
Stability of the Indo-Pacific
We will also talk about the stability of the Indo-Pacific, a priority region for political balances and for world trade and migration, with Italy intending to renew collaboration with Africa in an equal partnership key. It is no coincidence that there will be a session in which the Foreign Minister of Mauritania, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, will also participate, as president of the African Union. Finally, major global themes will find space, from food security to energy security, from the fight against climate change to artificial intelligence.
Capri and Naples armored
The alert level in Capri and Naples is very high and has been further raised in recent days. The prefecture of the Campania capital has deployed 1,200 and 1,400 men, with particular attention to Friday, when at the conclusion of the work the various delegations will move towards the airports. Divers and dog handlers are deployed alongside the mobile departments and will carry out all operations in the places affected by meetings and travel. Drones will also be used for patrols along the coast and in ports.
“Why did I choose Capri? I chose Capri because it is a beautiful Italian island, the flagship of the Campania Region and the flagship of the city of Naples. A site loved by all, so my guests welcomed it with great enthusiasm the Italian decision to carry out three days of work here”, said Tajani, in a video shot upon his arrival on the island and published on his X account. “Of course we will talk about the situation in the Middle East, what happened between Iran and Israel , the situation in Gaza, the situation in the Red Sea, but also the war in Ukraine. We want to support the freedom and independence of Kiev.” added the head of the Farnesina.
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