The G7 will “coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack,” U.S. President Biden said.

Tehran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israeli targets. | Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

G7 leaders will hold a videoconference Sunday afternoon to coordinate a united response to Iran’s attack on Israel, which threatens to spark an escalation in the fighting in the Middle East.

Italy, current holder of the G7 presidency, will convene the meeting in the early afternoon, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on X.

Meloni, along with other international leaders, condemned the Iranian attack on Israel late Saturday. Tehran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones against targets in Israel, in a move that increased fears of a broader conflict in the region. Iran had threatened to retaliate against a deadly Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria.

U.S. President Joe Biden called it “an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel.” He added that G7 leaders will “coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” U.S. officials “will stay in close touch with Israel’s leaders,” he added. 

Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones against Israel, but 99 percent of them were intercepted, the Israeli military said. Biden said American forces helped Israel down “nearly all” the drones and missiles.

The region had been on high alert for a possible retaliatory attack from Iran after an Israeli strike killed a senior Iranian officer at an embassy in Syria. Biden noted that “the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week” in anticipation of an attack.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who called the Iranian attack “an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security,” said Sunday afternoon that he had called a videoconference meeting of EU foreign ministers for Tuesday. “Our objective is to contribute to de-escalation and security of the region,” Borrell said on X.

The Israeli government has called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Source: Politico