ROME

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni late Monday held a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, addressing the need to pursue negotiations in the Israel-Iran conflict and avoid an escalation in the Mideast.

“The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the most recent developments in Iran, reaffirming that it would be opportune to reopen negotiations,” a statement issued by Meloni’s office said early Tuesday.

“During the conversation, President Meloni also stressed the need at this time to work towards reaching a ceasefire in Gaza,” it added.

The Italian premier also reiterated the importance of reaching an agreement in the EU-US trade negotiations and to address prospects for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.

In their final statement following the summit, the G7 leaders expressed support for Israel, calling Iran a source of instability in the Middle East and urging broader de-escalation of hostilities in the region.

The exchange of air attacks between Iran and Israel – which began on Friday following Israel’s strikes on Iran – has raised worries about stability in the region, which has been on edge of a wider conflict since the start of Israel's military attacks on Gaza in October 2023.

"We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza," a G7 statement said.

Trump abruptly left the G7 summit on Monday, departing a day early, as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensified. He also declared that Tehran should be evacuated “immediately.”