Washington: US President Donald Trump arrived in France for the Group of Seven Summit carrying what may become the defining diplomatic issue of the gathering: a still-unpublished agreement with Iran that promises to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pause a conflict that has rattled energy markets and unsettled allies.
The agreement, announced on Sunday, is expected to dominate discussions among G7 leaders, many of whom are seeking answers about a deal whose details remain largely unknown. According to The Wall Street Journal, allied governments have yet to see the full text of the accord and are looking for assurances that it can survive the difficult negotiations that lie ahead.
Trump is expected to spend three days meeting world leaders in Evian-les-Bains, France. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
While the summit agenda formally includes technology, trade and economic issues, attention has shifted sharply to the emerging US-Iran framework and its implications for regional security, global energy supplies and the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
According to The New York Times, the preliminary framework includes a 60-day ceasefire and negotiations towards a broader settlement. Trump has said the agreement will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas exports passes.
European leaders have broadly welcomed the breakthrough. The Wall Street Journal reported that France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom called for a swift return to commercial shipping through the Strait and urged rapid progress on detailed negotiations. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the agreement represented a potential breakthrough and offered European support on nuclear issues.
Yet uncertainty continues to surround the accord. According to The New York Times, the text has not been released publicly, and some of the most contentious issues — including sanctions relief and the future of Iran’s nuclear activities — have been postponed to later talks.
However, The Washington Post reported that Israeli leaders remain wary of any settlement that leaves Iran’s leadership structure intact while deferring decisions on key security issues.
Questions also remain about implementation. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump will need support from allies in securing safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and in persuading Iran to address concerns over enriched nuclear material. Commercial shipping companies are also seeking assurances that the waterway will be secure before fully resuming operations.
The summit comes at a pivotal moment for Trump’s foreign policy. The president has portrayed the agreement as evidence that military pressure and diplomacy can produce results. In an interview with The New York Times, he argued that the deal would eventually make the Strait of Hormuz “permanently toll-free” and insisted that his administration had negotiated “from strength”.
The Group of Seven comprises the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Although the forum was created to coordinate economic policy among advanced democracies, recent summits have increasingly focused on geopolitical crises, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
(IANS)
