TEHRAN: Iran accused the Group of Seven nations on Tuesday of siding with Israel in its call for "de-escalation" in their intensifying conflict, now in its fifth day.
"The G7 must give up its one-sided rhetoric and tackle the real source of the escalation -- Israel's aggression," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.
"Israel has launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran... in violation of... the UN Charter," the spokesman said.
"Hundreds of innocent people have been killed, our public and state facilities and people's homes are brutally demolished.
"Iran is defending itself against a cruel aggression. Does Iran really have any other choice?" he asked.
At a G7 summit in Canada on Monday, leaders including US President Donald Trump had called for "de-escalation" of the conflict while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself.
In a concluding statement, the G7 leaders said they were committed to "peace and stability" in the Middle East.
"We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel," said the statement.
"Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror," it said.
"We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
"We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East," the G7 statement added.
