G7 Summit Overshadowed by Escalating Middle East Conflict and Global Instability

G7 leaders gather in Kananaskis, Canada, for an emergency session dominated by the Israel–Iran conflict, June 15, 2025.

The G7 Summit, hosted this year in Kananaskis, Canada, has opened amid an atmosphere of global tension and uncertainty, as the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran threatens to overshadow the original agenda of economic recovery, climate cooperation, and support for Ukraine.

Leaders of the world’s seven most advanced economies — Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan — arrived in the mountain resort town under tight security. The summit, scheduled for June 15–17, was initially expected to focus on trade realignment, green energy investment, AI regulation, and coordinated economic strategies. However, the surprise Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets just hours before the summit’s opening ceremonies drastically shifted the focus.

In a closed-door emergency session late June 15, the G7 leaders discussed the implications of the Israeli attacks and Iran’s retaliatory missile launches. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the summit’s host, warned that the conflict could “trigger a regional war with severe global economic and humanitarian consequences.” U.S. President Joe Biden called on fellow leaders to present a united front in urging restraint while affirming Israel’s right to self-defense. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the need to prevent the conflict from spreading to neighboring countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed concern about energy security, with oil and gas prices already spiking after Iran’s South Pars gas field suffered damage during the airstrikes. Kishida also voiced apprehension over the vulnerability of critical energy transit routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. G7 energy ministers are now expected to hold side meetings to explore coordinated emergency reserves and strategic supply options.

While Ukraine remained on the agenda, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s scheduled virtual address was delayed due to last-minute shifts in the summit’s priorities. Western leaders reaffirmed their long-term support for Kyiv but acknowledged that diplomatic and media attention is now divided due to the Middle East crisis.

The summit has also drawn criticism from global South nations, who accuse G7 countries of focusing too narrowly on security alliances while ignoring pressing issues like vaccine equity, debt relief, and food insecurity. Climate advocates lamented that emissions reduction plans may now take a backseat to immediate geopolitical concerns.

Despite the tension, leaders are expected to issue a joint statement urging de-escalation in the Middle East, continued support for Ukraine, and collaborative approaches to managing economic instability caused by conflict and inflation. Analysts warn that failure to address the Israeli–Iranian conflict diplomatically could derail global economic recovery efforts just as inflation shows signs of cooling in some G7 economies.

As the summit continues, all eyes remain on real-time developments in the Middle East, and whether the G7 can maintain focus on its original policy goals while navigating one of the most volatile geopolitical climates in recent history.