Prime Minister Anthony Albanese‘s highly-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit has been cancelled, after Trump left a day early because of the escalating attacks in the Middle East.
The two leaders were expected to meet face to face for the first time on Wednesday to discuss Trump’s tariffs on Australian goods, as well as the AUKUS deal (as in, the security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) that’s currently under review in Washington.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump’s exit in a social media post while Albanese was holding a press conference at the summit, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
“President Trump had a great day at the G7, even signing a major trade deal with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”
Moments before the post hit social media, Albanese had told the media he looked forward to the leaders’ discussion.
“I look forward to the meeting, I look forward to it taking place,” the PM said.
Fox News reported Trump will dine with the G7 leaders in Canada as scheduled and immediately head off for Washington.
“He has requested that the National Security Council be prepared in the situation room” at the White House on his return, the network said.
Earlier in the day, Trump told the G7 summit he believes Iran would “like to talk” about possible paths to de-escalation of the attacks with Israel and that the parties “should talk immediately”.
“They’d like to talk, but they should have done that before,” he said at the summit in Canada, per ABC News.
“They have to make a deal and it’s painful for both parties, but I’d say Iran is not winning this war.
“They should talk and they should talk immediately before it’s too late.”
Sources told Reuters that Tehran had asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press Trump to use his influence on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and push for an immediate ceasefire. In return, Iran would show flexibility in nuclear negotiations, said the two Iranian and three regional sources.
Meanwhile, Iranian media has said Iran is preparing for the “largest and most intense missile attack” yet against Israel, including against military and intelligence targets, the publication reported.
Lead image: Getty
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