Premier Giorgia Meloni said that “the objective we all want is to get to negotiations that make it possible for Iran not to become a nuclear power” as she spoke to reporters at the end of the G7 summit in Canada amid the war between Israel and Iran.

“We are heading towards an escalation,” she said.

“We know that today there is a threat and that we must work to defuse it.

“We are all convinced that it must be defused with negotiations, but an attempt was made and unfortunately it did not achieve any results.

“I think today that a different scenario is possible in which we get to negotiations and achieve the objective that we all agree on, which is Iran forgoing being a nuclear power”.

The premier also spoke about the world’s other main war zones in Gaza and Ukraine.

“I think it is the right time, with the appropriate pressure, to reach a ceasefire in Gaza,” she said.

“I have worked hard on this and I am happy that a reference (to it) entered the final declaration (of the G7 summit)”.

She said that no one would accept Russian President Vladimir Putin being a mediator between Iran and Israel, adding that “the option is not on the table”.

She also criticised Moscow for its continuing bombing of Ukraine.

“Every time we try to take a step forward, Russia acts with provocation with attacks on the civilian population,” Meloni said.