U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in France on Monday afternoon and travel to the Alpine town of Évian-les-Bains, where this year’s G7 summit, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, opens Monday. Alongside the leaders of Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and Canada, the summit will also include invited leaders from Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt for discussions that will focus in part on implementing the dramatic agreement announced overnight between the United States and Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is deeply concerned about the implications of an agreement reached without Israeli involvement, was not invited to the summit.
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U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Franceto the G7 summit, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron
(Photo: Ludovic MARIN / AFP)
The three-day summit is being held in the picturesque lakeside resort town of Évian-les-Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva, near the Swiss border. Home to only about 10,000 residents, the town is known for its thermal springs, mountain views and Belle Époque architecture. It was also the site of the 1962 Evian Accords that ended the Algerian War and recognized Algeria’s independence from France.
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The three-day summit is being held in the picturesque lakeside resort town of Évian-les-Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva
(Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
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Home to only about 10,000 residents, the town is known for its thermal springs, mountain views and Belle Époque architecture
(Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
On Tuesday, a separate meeting is expected to bring together the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the UAE. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has also been invited, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea. The guests will stay at the five-star Hôtel Royal overlooking Lake Geneva.
While leaders will discuss issues ranging from trade and tariffs to the war in Ukraine, the central focus is expected to be the framework agreement announced overnight by Trump and Iran. The deal is intended to launch 60 days of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program while immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
Reopening the waterway would provide significant relief to global markets, as roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption normally passes through the strait. However, full restoration of maritime traffic will also require the removal of naval mines laid by Iran. How that will be accomplished is expected to be a key topic of discussion, with France and Britain already indicating they would support a mine-clearing and maritime security operation if the war ends.
Trump is portraying the agreement, which is expected to be signed and enter into force in Switzerland on Friday, as a major achievement. Yet many details remain unclear. Iran, contrary to U.S. statements, insists it will continue charging vessels passing through the strait, meaning traffic may not return to the unrestricted conditions that existed before Israel and the United States launched military operations in late February.
A mine-clearing mission would likely require Iranian approval, and Tehran has so far given no indication it would accept the presence of Western warships near its shores. A senior French government official told Reuters that the agreement improves the prospects for a successful summit with concrete outcomes.
“We can now really talk about something operational, which we can work on collectively,” the official said.
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For Macron, who will complete his second and final term next year, it is last opportunities to remain at the center of international diplomacy
(Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS)
A senior U.S. official had already confirmed on Saturday that leaders would discuss a British-French proposal to help reopen Hormuz. The issue is also expected to feature prominently in talks with Arab leaders attending the summit.
Macron, who has been pushing for a ceasefire in Lebanon, said that issue would also be discussed.
“The aim will be to assess the implications of this agreement, support for Lebanon, the long-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, of course, reaching a deal on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic (missile) programs,” Macron said in a recorded address released Sunday.
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President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at G7 summit
(Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS)
Later Monday, he announced that France, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and other countries are prepared to send a maritime mission to Hormuz, which could be deployed within two or three days of the agreement being signed. He emphasized that future negotiations should address not only Iran’s nuclear activities but also its ballistic missile program.
Macron also said he would discuss with Gulf leaders possible alternative routes for regional oil and gas exports that would reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.
For Macron, who will complete his second and final term next year, the summit may represent one of his last opportunities to remain at the center of international diplomacy. Domestically, he has long been viewed as a lame-duck president, particularly after the setback his camp suffered in parliamentary elections two years ago.
Macron is scheduled to host Trump for a state dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday. But the lavish welcome has not stopped Trump from issuing fresh threats toward France ahead of his arrival.
Trump remains angry with European leaders and other NATO allies for what he sees as their failure to support him during the conflict with Iran. In an interview with The New York Times overnight, he was asked about a joint statement issued by France, Britain, Italy and Germany welcoming the agreement with Iran. According to the newspaper, Trump reacted dismissively, saying they were “welcome” to join now, while suggesting their support may have come too late.
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The hotel that will host the leaders at the summit. 5 stars, with ornamental pools and extensive gardens
(Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
In an interview with the New York Post on Monday morning, Trump also threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all French wines and champagne exported to the United States unless France repeals its 3% digital services tax on American technology companies.
“I won’t have a choice,” Trump said. “All (Macron) has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn't have that kind of pressure.”
The threat is expected to add to already significant tensions among European and Western leaders attending the summit. It comes amid Trump’s repeated warnings that he could withdraw from NATO or sharply reduce the U.S. military presence in Europe in response to what he views as insufficient allied support during the war with Iran, despite growing concerns in Europe about a potential direct threat from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has clashed with Western leaders at previous summits, including the widely remembered 2018 G7 meeting where European leaders, led by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, were photographed confronting him around a table. He also left last year’s summit in Canada earlier than scheduled.