G7 Meets After Iran War, But Trump Questions Whether the West’s Old Club Still Matters

G7 leaders and invited nations are gathering in France as the West faces major tests over Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine, and global economic pressure. President Trump, frustrated by Europe’s refusal to back the U.S. militarily during the Iran war, is expected to push hard on whether the G7 can still act with real unity.

G7? Is that still a thing?

That is the tone surrounding President Donald Trump as leaders from the G7 and several invited nations gather in Evian-les-Bains, France, for a summit shaped by the aftermath of the Iran war, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and growing doubts about Western unity.

The summit opens on June 15 and runs through June 17. Leaders from the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Canada are expected to attend, along with invited leaders from South Korea, Brazil, India, Kenya, and Egypt.

The first major test will come on the opening night, when Trump and other G7 leaders discuss the Middle East, Ukraine, and global economic imbalance. According to French officials, a key focus will be reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restoring safe maritime traffic after the Iran war.

France and Britain have been leading efforts to form a multinational maritime framework aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the critical waterway. The goal is to create conditions for the United States and Iran to continue negotiations on practical issues.

But the bigger political question is whether the G7 still has the strength to act as a serious Western bloc. Trump has long argued that the group has become weak and outdated. European refusal to provide military support to the United States during the Iran war has only deepened that divide.

Ukraine will also be high on the agenda. On June 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with G7 leaders to discuss continued political, military, and financial support. Leaders are also expected to address possible paths toward serious negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, including territory, sanctions, and security guarantees.

Another key meeting will include leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, with talks expected to focus on the Strait of Hormuz and the restoration of secure shipping routes.

The summit will also cover online child protection, development aid reform, economic imbalance, cancer research, and the future of artificial intelligence. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is among the tech leaders expected to participate in the AI discussions on the final day.

For Trump, the summit is not just about diplomacy. It is a test of whether the G7 can still deliver real results — or whether it has become exactly what he has warned about for years: an old club with very little power.