Trump: G7 exit was over 'much bigger' issue than Iran-Israel ceasefire

US President Donald Trump responds to Emmanuel Macron's claim that his early G7 exit was linked to Israel-Iran ceasefire talks. White House cites urgent West Asia developments as reason for return

US President Donald Trump rejected claims by French President Emmanuel Macron that his early departure from the G7 summit in Canada was linked to ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Iran. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said Macron “has no idea” why he was returning to Washington, insisting the reason was “much bigger” than any ceasefire effort.

 

“Publicity-seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to DC to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran. Wrong!” Trump wrote on Tuesday, shortly after boarding Air Force One. “Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”

 

 

Trump did not clarify the reason behind his sudden return from the G7 summit. However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier indicated that his departure was triggered by developments in the Middle East. In a post on X, Leavitt described Trump’s day at the summit as “productive”, emphasising the signing of a major trade agreement with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. She said Trump had returned to Washington to address urgent developments.

   

SIGNED TRADE AGREEMENT: President Trump and UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer present their signed trade agreement. ????????????????  "It's a fair deal for both — going to produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income." pic.twitter.com/Fn340LyaJv

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 16, 2025

   

Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated sharply over the past five days following Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran. The violence has left multiple people dead and caused widespread damage on both sides. On Monday, Iran launched missiles that killed at least eight people in Israel, prompting Israel to target Iran’s state television headquarters during a live broadcast.

 

Among those killed in the earlier Israeli strikes were three senior officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including its intelligence chief, Hossein Salami. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “severe punishment” in response, warning of further escalation.

 

On Monday night, Trump called for the immediate evacuation of Iran’s capital. “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” he wrote. He also reiterated his long-standing position on Iran’s nuclear programme: “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and a waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”

 

Earlier, Macron had suggested Trump’s early exit from the summit might signal diplomatic progress. “If the US can obtain a ceasefire, that is a good thing,” he told reporters. But Trump’s remarks point to a different focus.

 

While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States was not directly involved in Israel’s initial assault on Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, Trump has implied prior awareness of the strikes and continues to frame Iran’s nuclear capacity as an urgent threat.

 

The G7 meeting in Alberta, which included key discussions on global trade and climate policy, was largely overshadowed by the unfolding crisis in West Asia.