Kananaskis, Alberta, June 17 — President Donald Trump made a sudden exit from the Group of Seven summit on Monday, skipping its final day as tensions between Israel and Iran threatened to spiral into a broader regional conflict. His departure followed a stark warning on social media urging, “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.”
The decision stunned fellow leaders gathered in the Canadian Rockies to address a host of global crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and fears of an economic downturn triggered by Trump’s aggressive tariff policies. Instead, the summit was quickly overtaken by the volatile situation in the Middle East, particularly Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Israel’s recent airstrikes.
“They have to make a deal,” Trump said Monday morning, referring to Iran’s nuclear program. “They’ve had 60 days to come to the table. They didn’t. Now it’s almost too late.” Asked whether the United States would consider direct military involvement, he replied curtly: “I don’t want to talk about that.”
Israel began its bombing campaign on Iranian targets four days earlier, reportedly striking several nuclear sites. Yet, it has been unable to reach Iran’s heavily fortified Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which lies deep underground. Neutralizing Fordo may require the U.S.-made GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator — a 30,000-pound bunker buster deployable only by America’s B-2 stealth bombers. Israel lacks both the munition and the delivery system.
As Trump stood beside other G7 leaders for a group photo late Monday, he offered only, “I have to be back, very important.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the host, responded diplomatically: “I am very grateful for the president’s presence and I fully understand.”
Behind the scenes, European leaders convened to craft a coordinated response. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held an informal meeting Sunday night to discuss how best to prevent further escalation. Merz later told reporters, “Iran must under no circumstances be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material.”
Unlike Trump, who appeared to favor unilateral U.S. action, European leaders pushed for diplomacy. “Our goal is to de-escalate, not inflame a crisis that could spread unpredictably across the region,” said a senior EU official close to the talks.
Still, Trump maintained a firm stance: “Iran is not winning this war. They should talk — and they should talk immediately.”
His early departure signaled more than just a scheduling shift. It underscored a deepening rift between Washington and its closest allies over how to manage a geopolitical crisis unfolding faster than the summit could adapt. Though Trump’s administration has advocated for an “America First” approach, his decision to skip high-level discussions on Ukraine and global trade highlighted a growing American willingness to sidestep multilateral forums in favor of go-it-alone strategies.
With world economies teetering under the pressure of protectionist tariffs and little progress made on global conflicts, Trump’s withdrawal marked a dramatic punctuation to a summit already overshadowed by peril.
