The G7 eyes targeted sanctions on Iran and a message of restraint as ministers meet in Italy

CAPRI, Italy (AP) — Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with the agenda topped by calls Wednesday for targeted new sanctions against Iran over its attack against Israel and more aid to Ukraine to fight Russia’s war.

Under Italy’s stewardship of the rotating presidency, the G7 leaders are expected to issue a united call for Israel to exercise restraint after Iran’s unprecedented weekend attack involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles fired toward the Jewish state.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Italy supported targeted new sanctions against Tehran, specifically against the makers of drones used in the weekend attack and others launched by Tehran-backed militias in Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen.

“So, for example, people sending drones to Houthi? Sanctions,” Tajani said, adding that other European Union foreign ministers agreed and that he expected the G7 ministers to discuss possible new sanctions this week in Capri.

Tajani is to meet later Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

With Israel's war in Gaza in its sixth month, Tehran's attack added a new element of urgency to the three-day meeting of foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also called for new sanctions against Tehran and was making a last-minute visit to Israel before arriving on Capri later Wednesday.

“We will discuss how a further escalation with more and more violence can be prevented," she said. “Because what matters now is to put a stop to Iran without encouraging further escalation.”

Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, has been among the chorus of European and U.S. leaders urging Israel to de-escalate tensions and not retaliate for Tehran’s attack, which was largely repelled thanks to U.S. and allied help.

In Washington, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said expected new U.S. sanctions would target Iran’s missile and drone program and entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s Defense Ministry.

“We anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions,” Sullivan said in a statement.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he would push for “coordinated sanctions against Iran” at the meeting. He argued that Tehran was orchestrating “so much of the malign activity in this region” from Hamas in Gaza, to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon to the Houthi rebels in Yemen who are behind attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

“They need to be given a clear and unequivocal message by the G-7 and I hope that will happen,” Cameron told broadcasters during a visit to Israel.

Russia’s two-year war in Ukraine is also high on the agenda, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg invited to the Capri meeting on Thursday as guests. Kuleba is expected to underline his country’s need for essential military support, including artillery, ammunition, and air defense systems to bolster its capacity as Russia pushes along the front line.

“If we want to achieve peace, we need to have a position without the defeat of the Ukrainian army,” Tajani told AP in Capri, acknowledging the holdup in U.S. funding was hurting Ukraine militarily but expressing hope that the impasse would be resolved.

“We believe it is important to back (Ukraine) also at the military level with weapons,” he said.

The United States and several European countries are discussing proposals to use the profits generated from billions of euros of frozen Russian assets to help provide weapons and other funds for Ukraine, proposals that have gathered steam as U.S. efforts to get new funds for weapons have stalled in Congress.

At the European Union level, EU leaders are to discuss the proposal at a summit Wednesday in Brussels. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, meanwhile, is expected in Capri.

Tajani said Italy was “absolutely in favor” of the proposal in principal but was awaiting a more detailed analysis of the legality of such a move.

The 27-nation EU is holding around 200 billion euros ($217 billion) in Russian central bank assets, most of it frozen in Belgium, in retaliation for Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The bloc estimates that the interest on that money could provide around 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) each year.

The Biden administration is also looking into the possibility of tapping into Russian assets. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday she will meet separately with G7 finance ministers to discuss, among other things, Russian sovereign assets.

“We’re looking at a series of possibilities ranging from actually seizing the assets to using them as collateral,” she told reporters in Washington.

She said Ukraine needs more help and she fears that Russia is beginning to see signs that the U.S. and its allies are ""tiring and finding it more difficult to find ways to support Ukraine."

“That makes us focused on finding a way to unlock economic value and a stream of resources from the Russian sovereign assets” that have been immobilized, she said.

The European Central Bank has warned in the past against seizing Russian assets themselves as this could undermine confidence in the euro currency and EU markets. But Borrell has said that under the EU plan, no assets would be taken, only the windfall profits they make.

On the Mideast front, tensions have ramped up since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,800 people, according to local health officials.

World leaders have urged Israel not to retaliate after Iran launched a revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. The attack happened less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building.

Winfield reported from Naples, Italy. Fatima Hussein in Washington and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrives for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, on the Island of Capri, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa arrives for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, on the Island of Capri, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrives for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, on the Island of Capri, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrives for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, on the Island of Capri, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani arrives for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, on the Island of Capri, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani arrives for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, on the Island of Capri, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the U.S. Naval Support Activity base, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, ahead of the G7 foreign ministers summit on Capri island. (Ciro De Luca/Pool Photo via AP)

Italian Carabinieri paramilitary policemen patrol in downtown Capri, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the U.S. Naval Support Activity base, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, ahead of the G7 foreign ministers summit on Capri island. (Ciro De Luca/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the U.S. Naval Support Activity base, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, ahead of the G7 foreign ministers summit on Capri island. (Ciro De Luca/Pool Photo via AP)

Italian Carabinieri paramilitary policemen gather at the Capri's harbour, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

The bronze sculpture by Giacinto Bosco titled "swing on the moon" is backdropped by Capri's harbour, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia's continuing war in Ukraine topping the agenda. The meeting runs April 17-19. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

FILE - Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani listens to questions during a press conference on G7 at the Foreign Ministry in Rome, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. Group of Seven foreign ministers are holding a three-day meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, starting Wednesday, April 17, with soaring tensions in the Mideast and Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine. Tajani said he spoke to Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz, on Tuesday, and urged Israel to not only de-escalate any reaction to Iran’s attack but to stave off a planned offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers starter Jon Gray just kept getting the sign from catcher Jonah Heim and filling the strike zone with heaters, sliders and a few changeups against the Washington Nationals.

Gray retired 22 of the last 23 batters he faced while allowing only three singles over eight innings, and the Rangers won 7-1 on Tuesday night to end the Nationals' four-game winning streak.

“Just trusting his stuff and he's going right at these guys,” Heim said.

“He was on top of his game,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Just was solid work throughout the game.”

Josh Smith and Leody Taveras homered for the defending World Series champion Rangers (16-14), who have won back-to-back games for only the second time since April 6.

Coming off a four-game sweep at Miami when they scored 33 runs, the Nationals (14-15) missed a chance to get over .500 for the first time since July 1, 2021.

Gray struck out three without a walk after not getting past six innings in any of his previous five starts. The right-hander threw 72 of his 98 pitches for strikes before rookie Cole Winn pitched a perfect ninth.

“It was just, being more comfortable being over the middle of the plate,” Gray said. “First four or five games, we've kind of been off the plate, on the plate, on the plate, off the plate. Just getting behind guys, not really getting deep into games. ... I just hit a point where I was kind of sick of it. I would rather give up a home run than walk a dude.”

Washington starter MacKenzie Gore (2-3) struck out seven, walked one and allowed two runs and five hits over five innings.

CJ Abrams led off the game with an infield single to extend his on-base streak to 16 games. After he scored on a two-out single by Luis García Jr., Gray retired 12 in a row until a two-out in the fifth, then set down his last 10 batters.

“He got a lot of called strikes down, the slider was really, really good," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "Everything was down. We couldn’t do anything with it.”

The Rangers got even at 1 in the fourth after Nathaniel Lowe had an infield single with a slow high chopper over the mound on the 10th pitch he saw. He scored on a single by Heim.

They went ahead in the fifth when Marcus Semien tripled and scored on slugger Corey Seager's swinging dribbler just in front of the plate.

OTHER RUNS

Smith's second homer of the season came in the sixth. Lowe had an RBI single after Semien's double in the seventh, and Taveras hit a two-run homer to straightaway center in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: Martinez said RHP Josiah Gray (right elbow/forearm flexor strain) is progressing. He says the pitcher has increased his throwing distance to 120 feet, is working on some mechanics on the mound and doing forearm strengthening.

Rangers: RF Adolis García stayed in the game after being hit on his right hand by a 96.7 mph fastball from Gore when checking his swing in the fifth. The slugger grabbed at his hand and was in the opposite on-deck circle squatting in obvious pain when an athletic trainer and Bochy got to him. García said afterward that he was OK. ... RHP Max Scherzer (offseason back surgery) had his second scheduled rehab start scratched because of thumb soreness.

UP NEXT

Trevor Williams (2-0, 2.70 ERA) pitches for Washington in the middle game of the series Wednesday night. The Rangers go with left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-3, 6.26).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe follows through on an RBI single in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Marcus Semien scored on the hit. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Adolis Garcia, left, lets the bat loose after being hit by a pitch as Washington Nationals' Keibert Ruiz, center, and umpire Ryan Blakney look on in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Leody Taveras (3) and Evan Carter, front right, celebrate with teammates after the team's win in a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington Nationals' Luis Garcia Jr. (2) celebrates his RBI single behind Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and umpire Edwin Jimenez, right, in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. CJ Abrams scored on the hit. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray throws to the Washington Nationals in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams reaches down to field a single hit by Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams connects for a single as Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim looks on in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams sprints home to score on a single by Washington Nationals' Luis Garcia Jr. in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) reaches first base on a single as Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray, right front, watches first baseman Nathaniel Lowe defend the bag in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Umpire Edwin Jimenez, left, looks on at the play. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, left, reaches down to field a grounder by Texas Rangers' Davis Wendzel as he runs to first base in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Wendzel was out at first on the play. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Jonah Heim follows through on an RBI single in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Nathaniel Lowe scored on the hit. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray throws to the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)