Trump departs the G7 meeting early as the situation between Israel and Iran worsens.
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| President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were photographed on Monday during the G7 summit held in Kananaskis, Alberta. |
The White House has announced that US President Donald Trump must return to Washington to address the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, forcing him to shorten his stay at the Group of Seven meeting in Canada.
According to circulating sources, Trump stated, "I have to be back early for obvious reasons," and requested that the White House National Security Council meet when he returned.
In order to strengthen the Pentagon's "defensive posture" in the Middle East, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier declared the "placement of new capabilities" to the region.
However, American officials denied rumors that the US was going to support Israel's onslaught against Iran.
The White House was at pains to highlight that Trump had "a terrific day" at the summit, saying much was done, including a trade pact between the US and UK.
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However, "what is going on in the Middle East" was the reason given by the president's press secretary for his departure from the world leaders' meeting at Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies on Monday night after dinner. She did not go into detail.
This implies that on Tuesday, the last day of the summit, the US president will not meet face-to-face with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump stated that he needed to return to Washington for "major stuff" during a picture session on Monday.He left as Iran and Israel launched their fifth day of attacks on one another.
The president earlier said on social media that Iran ought to have accepted the agreement he proposed to them during the most recent round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran.
He wrote, "To put it simply, Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon." "I repeated it repeatedly!"
On his social media network Truth Social, Trump also called on Iranians to "quickly leave" Tehran, their capital, which is home to up to 17 million people. He gave no other information.
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Shortly after, early Tuesday in Tehran, Iranian television reported heavy air defense fire and explosions. That was hours after a presenter was forced to leave mid-broadcast after Israel targeted Iran's state television.
After midnight, Israeli air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, and an explosion was heard as Iranian missiles once more targeted the nation.
During the G7 conference, world leaders acknowledged that they understood Trump's desire to depart early.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "It is a very good thing if the United States can achieve a ceasefire."
Trump's departure was "understandable," according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, even though the two were supposed to meet on Tuesday to talk about tariffs.
Earlier, disputes between Israel and Iran and between Russia and Ukraine caused rift within the G7.
The BBC's US partner CBS reported that Trump was preparing to turn down a summit statement on the Iran-Israel dispute.
The proposal encouraged both parties to safeguard people, asked for de-escalation, and contained wording about monitoring Iran.
During the conference, Trump also said that the expulsion of Russia from the G8 in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea was a "huge mistake."
"Putin speaks to me," the US president told reporters. "He is not happy about it... he does not talk to anybody else."
However, a tariff agreement between Trump and British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer represented some progress.
The UK is "very well protected" from potential import duties, Trump assured reporters. "Do you know why? since I enjoy them.
In a bilateral meeting with Trump on Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also stated that a trade agreement between the two nations could be reached in 30 days to address tit-for-tat import taxes.
This is Trump's second early departure from the G7 summit. Trump departed a 2018 conference in Quebec to meet with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea.
Since beginning its air war last Thursday with a surprise attack that it claims killed numerous top military officers and atomic experts, Israel has asserted control over Iranian airspace.
Israel's objective of destroying Iran's nuclear development program, however, does not seem to have been accomplished.
According to military strategists, only the United States possesses bombers and bunker-busting bombs capable of penetrating the most deeply located Iranian nuclear installations, particularly the Fordow facility.
The Iranian health ministry reports that at least 224 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Iran. The Israeli government said that at least 24 individuals had perished.
