KANANASKIS, CANADA – The picturesque Canadian Rockies, usually a serene backdrop for the annual Group of Seven (G7) summit, will instead play host to an emergency diplomatic scramble as leaders convene with the escalating Israel-Iran conflict dominating their agenda. What was once envisioned as a summit focused on global trade, critical minerals, and the ongoing war in Ukraine has been abruptly reshaped by the chilling reality of direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran, pushing the world closer to a wider regional conflagration.
The unexpected and rapid intensification of hostilities, including retaliatory strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and subsequent missile barrages on Israeli cities, has seized the attention of world leaders arriving in Kananaskis. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the summit’s host, had meticulously crafted an agenda designed to foster consensus among G7 members, particularly with the unpredictable presence of U.S. President Donald Trump making his return to the global stage. However, sources close to the discussions confirm that the Middle East crisis will now take precedence, potentially sidelining other key topics.
“This is a G7 agenda scrambled as world leaders race to de-escalate the worst fighting between Tel Aviv and Tehran in decades,” a senior diplomat noted on background. The urgency is palpable, with fears mounting over the prospect of an all-out war that could destabilize the global economy and security.
The divergent responses from G7 nations to the recent developments highlight the challenges ahead. While British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have all called for de-escalation and restraint, stressing the “grave peril” facing the Middle East, President Trump has taken a different approach. He lauded Israel’s strikes as “excellent” and reiterated Israel’s assertion that “worse is to come” for Iran if it does not downgrade its nuclear program. This dissonance within the alliance is likely to fuel intense, potentially difficult, bilateral discussions.
Of particular concern to European leaders will be the role of the United States. Trump, who has for months been working towards a diplomatic deal to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment, was reportedly informed of Israel’s “surprise” strike on Friday in advance. This puts the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, in a precarious position as G7 members will undoubtedly press President Trump on what steps he will take to rein in the assault and prevent further escalation.
“There will be tough questions from other leaders around the table to Donald Trump about what went wrong with the negotiations and about what he’s going to do to get Israel to de-escalate before things get worse,” said Julia Kulik, director of strategic initiatives for the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto’s Trinity College.
Beyond the immediate crisis, the Israeli-Iranian conflict has broader implications for regional and global stability. It threatens vital oil shipping lanes, risks drawing in other regional actors, and casts a long shadow over the future of the Iranian nuclear program, which had been the subject of ongoing, albeit fragile, diplomatic efforts. Indeed, talks on Iran’s nuclear capacity, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, have reportedly been cancelled in light of the renewed hostilities.
The G7 leaders are not expected to issue a traditional joint communique this year, a decision made prior to the current crisis, reflecting existing divisions on issues from trade tariffs to the Russia-Ukraine war. However, the shared imperative to de-escalate the Middle East conflict might, paradoxically, become the rare common ground among the increasingly disparate allies.
As the summit formally opens, the world’s most powerful democracies face the daunting task of navigating a crisis that threatens to consume the global agenda, testing their unity and diplomatic resolve at a moment of profound geopolitical uncertainty.