Donald Trump is returning early to Washington from the G7 summit due to escalating events in the Middle East, as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed that Trump will participate in the G7 family photo and dine with leaders at the summit in Alberta, Canada, before traveling back ahead of schedule.
The conflict between Israel and Iran has led to Trump issuing a warning to the residents of Iran’s capital, Tehran, to immediately evacuate. This warning came after Israeli forces ordered residents in large parts of Tehran to evacuate ahead of imminent bombing of “military infrastructure.”
Trump’s early departure is a setback for G7 organizers who had planned to discuss the Middle East conflict, hoping for the US to be a signatory to a statement calling on both sides to de-escalate. A draft of the statement affirmed that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, Israel has the right to defend itself, and Iran’s nuclear weapons program is subject to a negotiated deal.
The rapid succession of events has raised concerns in Washington about the potential for the US to become dragged into the conflict or the conflict triggering a wider war in the region.
Israel’s bombing campaign has evolved into a war of attrition four days into the campaign. In an escalation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, would “end the conflict.”
Earlier retaliatory missile strikes by Iran targeted Israeli cities, focusing on densely populated areas between Tel Aviv and the port of Haifa. Iran has also threatened to leave the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Despite not being directly involved in the conflict, the US rerouted the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group from the South China Sea to the Middle East. The Nimitz is expected to join the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group in the region. Additionally, two destroyers in the Mediterranean have been moved closer to Israel for the purpose of protecting US assets in the area.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/trump-g7-summit-middle-east-israel-iran
