Trump Cuts G7 Visit Short Amid Intensifying Iran-Israel Conflict

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Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada. Photo: G7

Trump Cuts G7 Visit Short Amid Intensifying Iran-Israel Conflict

RMN News Report Highlights

US President Donald Trump cut short his G7 visit to return to Washington due to the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.
The G7 leaders issued a statement affirming Israel’s right to defend itself and labeling Iran as the “principal source of regional instability and terror,” reiterating that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon”.
Trump himself posted on social media that “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON” and urged Iranians to “immediately evacuate” their capital, Tehran, amid reports of explosions and air defense fire.
Despite Israeli strikes, military analysts suggest Israel has not achieved its goal of destroying Iran’s nuclear development programme, noting that only the US has the capabilities to penetrate the deepest Iranian nuclear facilities.

Kananaskis, Canada – US President Donald Trump abruptly departed the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada on Monday (June 16), cutting his visit short to address the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. The move comes as G7 leaders issued a strong statement on Middle East stability, emphasizing support for Israel and condemning Iran’s role in regional instability.

President Trump informed reporters he had to return early for “obvious reasons” and for “big stuff” going on in the Middle East. His press secretary stated he was leaving after dinner due to “what’s going on in the Middle East,” without elaborating further.

This early departure means the US President missed scheduled in-person meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on the summit’s final day. Other world leaders at the summit, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, stated they understood Trump’s need to leave early, with Macron noting that “If the United States can achieve a ceasefire, that’s a very good thing”. This marks the second time Trump has left a G7 summit early, previously doing so in 2018 to meet North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.

[ ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਗਠਨਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਮੋਦੀ ਦੇ G7 ਸੱਦੇ ਨੂੰ ਰੱਦ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ: ਕੌਮਾਂਤਰੀ ਦਮਨ ਦੇ ਗੰਭੀਰ ਇਲਜ਼ਾਮ ]

The early departure follows five consecutive days of direct attacks between Israel and Iran. Shortly before his departure, President Trump posted on social media that “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” reiterating a long-held stance and urging Iranians to “immediately evacuate” their capital, Tehran.

This came as Iranian media reported explosions and heavy air defense fire in Tehran, hours after Israel targeted Iran’s state broadcaster. In Israel, air raid sirens wailed in Tel Aviv, and an explosion was heard as Iranian missiles targeted the country. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier announced the “deployment of additional capabilities” to the Middle East to enhance the Pentagon’s “defensive posture” in the region, though American officials were quick to reject suggestions that the US was about to join Israeli offensive operations against Iran.

Meanwhile, G7 leaders released a statement reaffirming their commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. They asserted Israel’s right to defend itself and reiterated their support for its security. The leaders also emphasized the importance of the protection of civilians.

The statement directly labels Iran as the “principal source of regional instability and terror” and reiterates that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon”. The G7 urged that the resolution of the Iranian crisis lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, “including a ceasefire in Gaza”. They also committed to remaining vigilant regarding implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate with partners to safeguard market stability.

Despite the unified public statement, the G7 faced divisions earlier in the summit over conflicts, including those between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Iran. Reports indicated President Trump was planning to reject a draft summit statement on the Iran-Israel conflict, which called for de-escalation, monitoring Iran, and protecting civilians. Trump also voiced his opinion that it had been a “big mistake” to expel Russia from the G8 in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea.

On the ground, Israel has claimed control of Iranian airspace since launching a surprise attack last Thursday, which it states has killed many top military commanders and atomic scientists. However, military analysts suggest that Israel does not appear to have achieved its goal of destroying Iran’s nuclear development programme, noting that “only the US has the bombers and bunker-busting bombs that can penetrate the deepest of Iranian nuclear facilities, especially that of Fordow”. According to the Iranian health ministry, Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran, while the Israeli government reported at least 24 deaths in Israel.

Despite the urgent nature of his departure, the White House emphasized that Trump had “a great day” at the summit, highlighting accomplishments such as a trade deal signed between the US and UK with British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer. Trump told reporters that the UK was “very well protected” from future import taxes. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump also had a bilateral meeting, with Carney suggesting a trade deal between the two countries could be struck within 30 days to resolve existing tit-for-tat import taxes.