President Donald Trump will depart early from the Group of Seven summit in Canada, the White House announced on Monday evening, due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared on X that “because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”
In a statement to reporters, Trump explained, “I have to be back as soon as I can. We’re gonna have dinner with these wonderful leaders and then I get on a plane. I have to be back early for obvious reasons.”
An administration official revealed to NBC News that Trump has asked the National Security Council to be prepared in the Situation Room upon his return from the summit.
Requests for additional details from administration officials went unanswered. However, a State Department spokesperson confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is accompanying Trump back to Washington.
Leavitt remarked in her post that despite Trump’s early exit, “much was accomplished,” highlighting the progress made between Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding trade discussions tied to a broader agreement. This deal involves the formal adjustment of certain tariffs announced the previous month, although it does not immediately eliminate the 25% duty on U.K. steel imports, as agreed in May.
Previously, a White House official indicated to NBC News that Trump would not endorse a joint statement during the G7 advocating for a de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict. They noted his commitment to “continue to work towards ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.”
Later on Truth Social, Trump commented that Iran “should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign” and urged the city’s residents to evacuate “immediately,” without providing further specifics.
The situation remains dire as reports confirm thousands of Israeli residents have been evacuated due to Iran’s retaliatory strikes, as stated by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
As hostilities escalated, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and its branch in Tel Aviv announced their closures. The death toll has rapidly increased since Israel launched its initial attack on Friday, with Iranian state media reporting at least 224 fatalities in Iran, including members of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s inner circle. Meanwhile, retaliatory strikes from Iran have resulted in at least 24 deaths in Israel, according to Israeli officials.