The Group of Seven industrialized nations agreed Wednesday to explore the possibility of escorting vessels in the Middle East once security conditions are met, this year's G7 chair France said amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.In its statement released after the group's online summit, the French government said the plan for ship escorts is aimed at restoring "freedom of navigation in the region."Meanwhile, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday that the announcement was made by France's "own decision as the chair" and refrained from…READ FULL ARTICLE