G7 defense ministers urge Iran to end support for Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis

G7 defense ministers on Saturday urged Iran to end its support for the Palestinian Hamas movement and its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

The G7 said in a joint statement following their meeting in Naples that they “call on Iran to exercise restraint in its support for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other non-state actors, and to refrain from further actions that could destabilize the region and lead to uncontrolled escalation.”

Regarding Ukraine, the G7 defense ministers affirmed their “steadfast” support for Kyiv, including on the military front.

“We reaffirm our steadfast support for Ukraine’s freedom, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity for as long as it takes.

We underscore our determination to continue providing support to Ukraine, including military [assistance], in the short and long term.”

He also said he supported Ukraine’s “irreversible path towards integration into the Euro-Atlantic area, including NATO membership.”

The group, chaired this year by Italy, includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.

The talks in Naples were attended by representatives of the European Union, NATO and Ukrainian defense ministers.