Kananaskis, June 17 -- Leaders of the Group of Seven (G-7) countries attending a summit in Canada have issued a joint statement affirming Israel has "the right to defend itself" in the escalating crisis in West Asia.

"We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel. We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians," read the statement released by the office of the Prime Minister of Canada.

The leaders said "Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror."

"We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," the G7 lead...