US assembles its G7 pawns to coordinate sanctions on Iran

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Apr 2024 03:09
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Forwarding attempts to hinder Iran's fast-growing military capabilities, G7 finance chiefs in Italy have decided to coordinate sanctions against Iran.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, right, attend a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, on Capri Island, Italy, on April 17, 2024. (AP)

The Western-based Group of Seven (G7) Finance ministers and central bank governors have pledged close coordination to diminish Iran's military capabilities, the bloc announced in a joint statement on Saturday night.

After holding an anticipated meeting in Italy, G7 finance chiefs decided to "ensure close coordination of any future measure to diminish Iran's ability to acquire, produce, or transfer weapons to support destabilizing regional activities."

The statement comes shortly after US President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, announced that the White House will look to impose further sanctions on Iran. Washington aims to hinder Iran's fast-growing missile and drone programs, following the "unprecedented" retaliatory attack that Iran's armed forces launched on Israeli military sites.

G7's hypocrisy and double standards: Unmatched

In the context of the G7 meeting, the Iranian embassy in Rome, Italy, warned against the adoption of non-constructive decisions toward Iran and the irresponsible cooperation of the West with the criminal Israeli regime.

The statement pointed out the hypocrisy of taking unilateral punitive measures against Iran for acting on its right to respond to a clear Israeli aggression on its diplomatic quarters in Syria, which occurred on April 1.

"During the past years, the Israeli regime has harmed the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran in various ways and by grossly violating the fundamental principles of international law and mandatory rules," Iran's embassy in Rome explained.

"The response of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran at dawn on April 13, 2024, took place in the form of the right of legitimate defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter," it added.

The embassy said that the armed forces only took action after the UN Security Council failed to condemn the "norm-breaking act of the Israeli regime."

US aims to increase West Asia militarization to protect Israeli regime

In a press release on Saturday, Sullivan pointed to the efforts made by the Department of Defense and CENTCOM to expand US air defense systems in the region, including early warning systems across the Middle East.

By doing so, the White House hopes "to further erode the effectiveness of Iran's missile and UAV capabilities."

It is worth noting that the attack on the embassy was conducted via US-supplied F-35 stealth jets and that the US and other NATO members participated in anti-air operations during the IRGC's retaliatory attack Saturday overnight.

"The pressure will continue. We will not hesitate to continue to take action, in coordination with allies and partners around the world, and with Congress, to hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions," Sullivan concluded.