Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies are gathering at a lakeside resort in France on Monday, just days after the United States and Iran announced a preliminary agreement aimed at ending their conflict.
The emerging U.S.-Iran deal is expected to be a key topic during the June 15–17 summit, where leaders will also discuss the war in Ukraine, efforts to address global economic imbalances, and strategies to secure critical mineral supplies beyond China, which currently dominates the sector.
Trump Expected to meet Leaders
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to join the G7 summit in France, a move welcomed by organisers after his early departure from last year’s gathering. Many leaders remain wary of Trump’s unpredictable approach to global affairs, which has reshaped diplomacy, trade and security.
Trump is expected to meet Middle Eastern leaders and hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While Ukraine is seeking additional military support as the war grinds on, analysts say stronger U.S. backing may be difficult to secure as Trump focuses on resolving the Iran conflict.
IRAN DEAL
G7 leaders will be keen to learn the details of the U.S.-Iran deal. A memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland but precise terms were not immediately known.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on Friday and that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would end.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said hostilities, including in Lebanon, would cease from Monday night, while Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said broader issues such as sanctions relief and Iran’s nuclear programme would be negotiated during a 60-day ceasefire period.
The United Arab Emirates, directly harmed by the war, and key mediators Qatar and Egypt will also attend the G7.
Macron’s Moment
Trump will be greeted on Monday by French President Emmanuel Macron, for whom this summit serves as a diplomatic capstone for his second and final term in office, which draws to a close next year.
Macron has sought to use France’s presidency of the G7 to push for action on global macroeconomic imbalances, a longstanding U.S. concern, before Washington takes the chair of the G20 this year and the G7 next. France has framed the issue as a shared responsibility in that China overproduces, the United States overconsumes and Europe underinvests.
Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea have been invited to the G7 to join the discussion, while Macron has urged China to boost its own consumption.
(With inputs from Reuters)
