Trump leaves G7 summit early, White House says he is dealing with Middle East situation

US President Donald Trump on Monday abruptly left a G7 summit in Canada, where he joined other leaders in signing a statement criticising Iran, to deal with the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

Trump had previously refused to sign the statement, but decided to do so when the draft language was adjusted.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that Trump left the two-day summit “because of what is going on in the Middle East,” but she did not elaborate. Israeli officials have been pressuring the United States to intervene militarily to crush Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The fiercest confrontation in the history of the Israeli-Iranian conflict has entered its fifth day, with Israel still short of its goal of knocking out Iran’s nuclear development program.

Israeli officials have been pressing the United States to engage directly in the war by dropping so-called bunker-busting bombs, 30,000-pound weapons powerful enough to take out Iran’s deeply buried equipment at the major Fordo nuclear site. Only one weapon could destroy the facility, experts say: the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which requires a B-2 bomber for delivery.

Israel owns neither the weapon nor the bomber.

Trump has long made clear his opposition to American involvement in other countries’ wars. But he has also made clear his opposition to a nuclear-armed Iran.

“Simply stated,” he said Monday on his social media platform, “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”

Trump initially decided not to sign a statement being prepared by the G7 industrialised nations that called for de-escalation between Iran and Israel. But in the end, after the draft was adjusted, he signed it with the rest of the leaders.

Acting with what appeared to be increasing confidence, Israel claimed “full aerial superiority” on Monday and told residents of parts of Tehran to evacuate, hinting in advance that it was about to attack the state television complex.

The attack came while anchors were live on the air. Israel also said it had struck the headquarters of the elite Quds Force in the Iranian capital. Israeli President Netanyahu declined to rule out targeting Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran sent barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which struck several cities early on Monday, killing at least eight people, according to Israeli officials.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, signaled an openness to resuming talks with US representatives about curtailing its nuclear development program. And President Trump has been encouraging Vice President JD Vance and his Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, to offer to meet the Iranians this week.

“If Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential,” Araghchi said in a statement.

With civilian casualties climbing on both sides, the war now seems likely to last weeks, not days. Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran, according to the Iranian health ministry, and injured more than 1,400 people. In Israel, the government said at least 24 people had died, with roughly 600 injured.