Instant ceasefire a must
As warmongering between Iran and Israel escalates to new heights with their respective cities, ports and military installations under fire, the point of consolation is that diplomacy is slowly picking up momentum. The offer from Russia and Turkiye to mediate is a welcome development, and there is an opportunity in disaster for the G7 leaders to work for a perpetual peace in one of the most volatile regions as they rub their shoulders in Canada.
The riddle to start working, nonetheless, would be an immediate ceasefire and that too with the tactical endorsement from the United Nations that it will monitor the situation. The UNSC must deploy necessary confidence building mechanisms so that the conflagration is stemmed, and regional trade and commerce is not impacted. It is, however, a pity that the Arab League and the OIC are nowhere to be seen, and this is where the role of regionalisation gets a drawback.
The volume of destruction on both sides, and the resolve from either party to go for the kill till extinction is worrisome. Tel Aviv's threat to "burn" Tehran and, likewise, the clergy's intention to "wipe out" the Jewish state are now literally taking a toll on regional security and stability. As far as Iran is concerned, it is buoyed with the impact that its ballistic missiles had drawn misery on Israel, especially on the port of Haifa and the capital city. The tendency to prolong warfare as scores are being levelled must be revisited.
Trump, in the midst of his counterparts in Kananaskis, Alberta, must be made to realise that it is his adamant attitude that had led to eruption. Iran's latest stance, as reiterated by President Pezeshkian in the parliament on Monday, that his country does not seek nuclear weapons should be the starting point of peace talks. Likewise, Tehran should be consoled not to pull out of NPT and work closely with Russia to "store uranium" with it as had been an earlier bilateral endeavour. The least that is expected to emerge from the G7 summit is leadership that could stop the war.