Evian-les-Bains (FRANCE), June 15: US President Donald Trump arrived in France on Monday for the Group of Seven (G7) summit after announcing an agreement that he says could end the 15-week US-Iran conflict.
The breakthrough comes after days of negotiations and renewed fighting involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, which had raised doubts about the prospects for a deal.
Trump is expected to enter the summit in Evian-les-Bains with strengthened political momentum.
The conflict had triggered a sharp rise in global energy prices and drawn criticism from several G7 leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Opinion polls in the United States have also shown widespread public disapproval of the war, creating concerns among Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Celebrating the agreement on social media, Trump said it would pave the way for the US to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which around 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil flowed before the conflict.
However, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran would keep the strait closed until the agreement is formally signed.
Neither Washington nor Tehran has released the full text of the deal. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country helped mediate the negotiations, said preparatory discussions would begin this week, followed by 60 days of technical talks focused on Iran’s nuclear programme.
The agreement is expected to reshape discussions at the G7 summit. Trump is scheduled to discuss efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a critical step in restoring commercial shipping.
France and Britain have expressed readiness to assist in demining operations once hostilities are paused.
Macron said France could rapidly deploy mine-clearing assets and noted that a French aircraft carrier group already stationed in the region could assist within days of a final agreement.
Macron has also invited the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to join a G7 session on the Middle East, where Iran is expected to dominate discussions.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Canada welcomed the agreement, calling it an opportunity to restore regional stability and support the global economy.
However, questions remain over the details of the accord. Trump has argued that the deal differs from the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, which he withdrew from in 2018.
Critics, including Democratic Senator Mark Warner, have questioned how the new deal will ensure compliance, verify Iran’s nuclear activities and handle its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also expressed concern, saying Congress should review and vote on any agreement and noting that Iran’s interpretation of the deal appears to differ from that of US negotiators. (AP)
