Meloni calls the G7 to discuss the attack. Tajani: everyone’s goal is to work on de-escalation

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The Italian presidency of the G7 has called a leader-level video conference for early afternoon today to discuss the Iranian attack against Israel. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calls together other Western leaders to evaluate scenarios and possible repercussions following the initiative undertaken by the Tehran government. Already, during the night, after the first news on the sending of missiles and drones against Israel, the Prime Minister had telephoned the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, the head of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and the Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council with responsibility for the Services, Alfredo Mantovano, and followed the evolution of the attack “with great attention”.

Tajani: everyone’s goal is to avoid de-escalation

During the night it was the deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, who reiterated the line of the Italian executive, whose role, he explained, is to avoid an escalation of the conflict. Tajani himself had therefore reassured about the conditions of the Italian soldiers deployed on various missions abroad. «Yesterday I asked the Iranian Foreign Ministry for guarantees for our soldiers who are deployed on the border between Lebanon and Israel. I was told that there will be maximum attention.” Tajani then returned on Sunday morning to explain the latest developments. «Fortunately the situation is improving. Airspace was opened in places where it had been closed. The Iranian offensive was repelled, almost all the “Iranian” missiles and drones were shot down and only a couple hit an air base without causing damage”, said the minister speaking on a Tg2 special. “Tomorrow I will bring together all the ambassadors of the Arab and Muslim countries to address the situation” underway in the Middle East, added the head of the Farnesina. «On Tuesday I will meet the Canadian minister, on Wednesday Blinken, then the G7 will be in Capri. Everyone’s goal is to work on de-escalation, to avoid worsening the conflict. We must do everything we can to prevent it from spreading, it certainly isn’t easy.”

Netanyahu: Israel ready to defend itself and attack Iran

The Italian military engaged between the Middle East and the Red Sea

Already in the hours following Iran’s attack Tajani had underlined that Italy would work to avoid an escalation of the conflict. «There is a high concentration of military forces» in the area between the Middle East and the Red Sea. «Italy is not involved in attack operations with the Navy but we are certainly following the situation with great attention and I am in constant contact with the Minister of Defense and naturally with the Prime Minister», explained Tajani who, in an interview released on Sunday at Corriere della Sera he also highlighted the possible reverberations of the Iranian attack.

The hope: let’s hope Iran stops but it’s too early to say

Iran’s retaliation for the attack attributed to Israel against the consulate in Damascus risks “setting in motion a very dangerous spiral: the next few hours will be crucial”. Just Friday Tajani spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. «I had asked him to convince his government to show moderation and a sense of responsibility», explained the minister who had «tried to assure his Iranian colleague of Italy’s commitment, also as G7 presidency, for peace and to avoid an enlargement of the conflict in the Middle East”. In relation to the possible evolution of the crisis, Tajani therefore hoped that «Iran will stop but it is too early to say, we will need to understand how long the attacks will continue, what damage they will cause, how deep they will have been carried out and on which objectives . It is clear that the dynamics of the region are now undergoing a surge, an acceleration that could be very dangerous.”

The minister: government ready to handle any scenario

Tajani also spoke about Italy’s commitment, anticipating the convocation of the G7 which then arrived on Sunday morning. «First of all we will mobilize the G7 countries of which we have the rotating presidency. We cannot give up political action which must run in parallel with the evaluation of the intensity of Iranian military action and the damage caused. The first objective is to throw water on the fire. Our thoughts go first of all to the Gaza Strip but also to Lebanon where we have 1,100 soldiers, on the border between Israel and areas where Hezbollah is present: we act in every way for their safety and from Iran we have received guarantees that there will be no impact. We don’t want a spiral that politics may no longer be able to control”, he specified and then spoke about the consequences of the conflict for our country. «Italy is at the center of the Mediterranean: a new crisis would represent a tragedy that I don’t even want to imagine. The Red Sea region is already in crisis: it may seem like a very distant area, but a large part of our exports pass through the Suez Canal. However, the government is ready to manage any type of scenario.”