(19 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Capri – 19 April 2024
1. Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani entering news conference room
2. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Antonio Tajani, Italian Foreign Affairs Minister:
"We condemned the recent attack launched by Iran against Israel. The G7, you will read the document, supports Israel’s security. But we call on all parties to work to avoid escalation, and the G7 will work for that outcome. We, it’s written, want to continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid escalation. We call on all parties to make a positive contribution to this collective effort. We call on Iran to end its relationship with Hamas and support for Hezbollah, and we do not rule out the possibility of sanctions and other measures in response to what has happened and what could happen with destabilizing actions.”
++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who chaired the meeting of ministers of industrialized countries on the island of Capri, said the agenda of the three-day meeting was changed on Friday to address the latest developments.
Earlier on Friday, Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones.
They were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country last weekend.
Tajani didn’t immediately address the incident but urged both sides to exercise restraint.
“We call on all parties to work to avoid escalation, and the G7 will work for that outcome,” Tajani said in a closing news conference.
“We call on Iran to end its relationship with Hamas and support for Hezbollah, and we do not rule out the possibility of sanctions and other measures,” he added.
The foreign ministers condemned Iran’s recent attacks against Israel, writing that “the G-7 supports the security of Israel.”
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