Mystery surrounds the early departure of Donald Trump from the G7 summit in Canada, but he has stated that the reason he left early is not because he wanted to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he says French President Emmanuel Macron was “wrong” when he said earlier that Trump was returning to Washington to engage in ceasefire talks.
“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington,” Trump says. “But it certainly has nothing to do with a [cease fire]. Much bigger than that.”
Trump did not elaborate on his reasons for leaving but ended his post with “Stay Tuned!” Earlier, Trump told Canada’s Prime Minister and Mark Carney, the summit host, that the other leaders of the world’s biggest economies would understand his early exit. “I have to be back as soon as I can,” he said. “I wish I could stay until tomorrow, but they understand, this is big stuff.”
In speaking at the G7 summit in Alberta late on Monday, the French President said Trump’s departure was positive, given the objective of getting a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. “There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions,” Macron told reporters.
Earlier, Axios reported the White House was discussing the possibility of a meeting between US and Iranian officials this week to discuss a nuclear deal. Before leaving the summit, Trump signed a joint statement on the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which described Tehran as the “principal source of regional instability and terror.”
Trump warned that Iran had already missed a 60-day window to engage in talks before Israel launched an airstrike four days earlier. “They have to make a deal,” Trump said, adding that Iranian officials had shown interest in negotiations but failed to act in time.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who hosted the summit at a secluded Rocky Mountain retreat, described the moment as critical. “We’re gathering at one of those turning points in history,” Carney said. “The world’s more divided and dangerous.”
Iranian media reported explosions and heavy air defense fire in Tehran in the early hours of the morning. Overnight, Iran launched two waves of missiles in response to the Israeli attacks, setting off air raid alerts in parts of central and northern Israel. The attacks were less intense than the previous nights, and there were no reports of direct impacts or casualties.
In speaking to the London-based Iranian International television channel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programs but that his forces needed more time. He again hinted at regime change, saying the campaign was giving Iranians the chance to topple the Islamic Republic.
