Trump exits G7 early, warns Iran to evacuate

President Donald Trump unexpectedly left the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada on Monday, June 17, 2025, cutting his trip short as tensions between Israel and Iran reached a critical point.

His departure came after he issued a stark warning that Tehran should be evacuated “immediately,” amid escalating fears of a broader regional conflict.

The summit had convened with the goal of addressing multiple global crises, but the rapidly intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran overtook the agenda.

Four days prior, Israel had initiated an aerial bombing campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

During his time at the summit, Trump insisted that Iran must scale back its nuclear program before it’s “too late.”

He claimed Iranian officials were open to dialogue, but noted they had already missed a 60-day window to negotiate prior to Israel’s strikes.

“They have to make a deal,” Trump stated.

However, when asked what might prompt U.S. military intervention, he declined to elaborate, saying, “I don’t want to talk about that.”

So far, Israel has attacked several Iranian nuclear sites, but it has been unable to neutralize the heavily fortified Fordo uranium enrichment facility, located deep underground.

To destroy Fordo, military experts believe the U.S.’s GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, capable of penetrating deeply buried targets, would be necessary.

Israel lacks both the bomb and the B-2 stealth aircraft needed to deliver it.

By Monday afternoon, Trump took to social media to issue a dire message: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Soon afterward, he left the summit, skipping scheduled Tuesday sessions focused on Ukraine and international trade.

While posing for a group photo with fellow G7 leaders Monday evening, Trump remarked briefly, “I have to be back, very important.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who hosted the summit, acknowledged Trump’s early departure, saying, “I am very grateful for the president’s presence and I fully understand.”

Trump’s exit heightened the sense of instability already hanging over the summit.

His administration has implemented sweeping tariffs affecting dozens of countries, risking a global economic downturn.

Meanwhile, progress remains limited on resolving major conflicts, including those in Ukraine and Gaza.

Rather than fostering unity among the G7 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States – Trump appeared to favor a more unilateral approach.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni held an informal meeting late Sunday to discuss the escalating Middle East crisis.

According to Merz, Germany intended to draft a statement emphasizing that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons.

On Monday night, all G7 leaders issued a joint statement declaring that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon.”

They also called for a broader de-escalation in the Middle East, including a Gaza ceasefire.

Trump reiterated that Iran is not succeeding in the conflict and should engage in talks “before it’s too late.”

Yet, by Monday evening, as he prepared to leave the summit’s mountain setting in Kananaskis, Trump appeared willing to challenge isolationist views among his political base.

“AMERICA FIRST means many GREAT things, including the fact that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.

During the summit, Trump also expressed criticism of the G7 structure, calling the 2014 decision to exclude Russia a destabilizing mistake.

He even floated the idea of including China in the group’s future format.

Prime Minister Carney, overheard as journalists were ushered out of the summit’s opening session, remarked to Trump that his comments on Iran, Russia, and China had already generated significant attention.

“Mr. President, I think you’ve answered a lot of questions already,” Carney said.

The other G7 members, hoping to avoid another public rift like the one in 2018, sought to maintain cordial relations with Trump.

No joint communique had been planned this year in anticipation of potential discord.

Trump also held sideline discussions with several leaders, including German Chancellor Merz, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

With Macron, he discussed tariffs, the Middle East conflict, and the war in Ukraine.

Before his departure, Trump had been scheduled to meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy indicated he planned to discuss a defense package Ukraine hoped to purchase from the U.S.—a deal now left uncertain.

On trade, Trump’s administration has imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, 25% on vehicles, and a 10% baseline tax on most imports, which could rise after July 9.

Trump and Starmer signed a trade framework Monday that includes tariff quotas but largely maintains the existing 10% rate.

Separate tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico, aimed at curbing fentanyl smuggling, remain in effect, although some protections from the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement still apply.

Merz acknowledged that while no trade breakthrough was expected at the summit, “we could perhaps come closer to a solution in small steps.”

Carney’s office confirmed ongoing negotiations aimed at reaching a trade agreement within 30 days.

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