G7 leaders have convened in the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies as world leaders scramble to contain the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

Iran has called on US President Donald Trump to force Israel to cease fire while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was on the “path to victory” and an Israeli strike hit an Iranian television studio.

Trump has reiterated his call for the two nations to start negotiating.

“They should talk, and they should talk immediately,” he said on Monday (local time).

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said all G7 leaders agreed they “have to find a way to de-escalate the situation” in the Middle East because the Israel-Iran conflict risked inflaming the “tinderbox” of the Gaza Strip and hurting the global economy.

Starmer said he had spoken to Trump about the issue, adding “the risk of the conflict escalating is obvious, I think, and the implications, not just for the region but globally, are really immense, so the focus has to be on de-escalation”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said earlier on Monday ahead of the summit that Germany was planning to draw up a final communique proposal on the Israel-Iran conflict that would stress that “Iran must under no circumstances be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material”.

But as Trump met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he also stressed it was a mistake to remove Russia from the Group of Seven in 2014, and doing so had destabilised the world.

He also suggested it could be a good idea to add China.

Trump also seemed to put a greater priority on his planned emphasis on addressing his grievances with other countries’ trade policies.

“Our primary focus will be trade,” Trump said of his talks with Carney.

This year’s G7 summit is full of combustible tensions. It is unclear how the gathered world leaders can work together to resolve them.

Trump already has hit dozens of countries with severe tariffs that risk a global economic slowdown.

There is little progress on settling the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, and now the conflict between Israel and Iran.

“We’re gathering at one of those turning points in history,” Carney said.

“The world’s more divided and dangerous.”

But as the media was escorted from the opening session, Carney could be heard as he turned to Trump and referenced how his remarks about the Middle East, Russia and China had already drawn attention to the summit.

“Mr President, I think you’ve answered a lot of questions already,” Carney said.

Trump may have to balance his focus on trade with the broader need by the G7 countries – which also include France, Italy and Japan – to project a united front.

Leaders who are not part of the G7 but have been invited to the summit by Carney include the those from Australia, India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.

The G7 briefly expanded to the G8 with Russia as a member. It was expelled in 2014 after Vladimir Putin’s illegal annexation of Crimea that preceded his 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Aus seeks domestic certainty on sidelines

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will continue meeting world leaders on the sidelines of the G7 summit when he holds talks with new South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation secretary general Mark Rutte in Canada on Monday.

Albanese has taken the opportunity to build rapport with other nations as Trump’s tariffs cast a shadow over global trade.

“What’s clear is that in [an] uncertain world, what people are looking for is certainty in relationships, trusted relationships,” Albanese said.

Defence and security will be top of mind in talks with Lee. He and Albanese are expected to discuss a shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region.

Albanese will also hold his first face-to-face meeting with the secretary general of NATO, a political and military alliance of European and North American nations.

He and Rutte will likely discuss Australia’s support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

“Australia always has a case for maximising our defence and security relationships in what is an uncertain world” Albanese said.

But the centrepiece of Albanese’s trip is his much-anticipated talk with Trump on Tuesday.

Their first face-to-face meeting presents a crucial opportunity for Albanese to negotiate an exemption from the controversial tariffs.

Australia faces 50 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel products sent to the US, while other goods have been hit with a baseline 10 per cent levy.

Tariffs are generally passed on by importers to consumers, but can reduce demand for the exporting country’s products.

Albanese has argued the tariffs are an “economic act of self-harm” and his government is considering using US beef imports and critical minerals as potential bargaining chips.

Albanese is not the only world leader hoping to leave the summit with a tariff exemption, with Carney and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba lining up to speak to Trump.

Albanese has also discussed trade with other world leaders, and called Canada a “true friend” of Australia after meeting  Carney.

He is also scheduled to meet leaders including Starmer, Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba.

-with AAP