Donald Trump has downplayed claims that he left the G7 summit early on Monday to try and broker a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, as tensions between the two states escalated.
At the start of the week, Trump arrived in the Canadian city of Kananaskis for the 51st anniversary of the G7 summit, where topics such as the Middle East, climate change and Russia’s war in Ukraine were set to be discussed.
However, the US president left the G7 summit early before taking to Truth Social to seemingly downplay the idea that he was pushing for peace in the Middle East.
“Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran. Wrong!” he wrote in a very early morning message on his social media platform.
“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
In another post, he also urged, “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” seemingly warning Iranian civilians that the Israeli air strikes are far from over.
Tensions continue to mount between Israel and Iran, after Israel launched an attack in Iran that killed hundreds of civilians, which resulted in back-and-forth shelling for the past five days.
Israel, which has failed to disclose how many weapons of mass destruction it has of its own, alleges that Iran was close to making a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, the response from other G7 leaders has been somewhat muted, with leaders calling for a de-escalation instead of an outright ceasefire. So, who exactly is in the G7, and why did Trump leave?
Who is in the G7?
The Group of 7 (G7) is an informal group of seven wealthy countries, as well as the European Union, whose heads of state meet each year to discuss transnational events and issues around the world. It is made up of:
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- The EU is also considered a "non-enumerated member"
Although the bloc has been meeting for more than half a century, some critics have cast doubt over the influence of the G7 in recent years. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, critics claim it excludes emerging powers and has declining global influence.
Why did Trump leave the G7 early?
Trump reportedly told journalists attending the G7 event, “I have to be back as soon as I can,” before leaving for the United States. The White House also said he was returning “because of what’s going on in the Middle East.”
However, since then, the President has been anything but clear about what his plans actually are for the escalating crisis.
When he landed in the US, he told reporters: “I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire”, before clarifying that he wanted a “complete give-up” by Iran.
In the early hours of Tuesday, before many Americans woke, Trump took to his social media platform to dismiss claims that he was looking to achieve ‘peace talks’, while pinning a post to his profile that said Iran “CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”
“I have not reached out to Iran for “Peace Talks” in any way, shape, or form. This is just more HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS! If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table - Would have saved a lot of lives!!!” he wrote.
What has the G7 said about Israel and Iran?
In a joint statement, the G7 leaders claimed Israel had a right to defend itself and that “Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror.”
"We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel,” the statement read, alongside calls for a de-escalation in hostilities.
The G7 seemingly failed to condemn Israel’s attack on Iran.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, a doctor in Gaza claims there was a “mass casualty” incident that has resulted in nearly 700 casualties today after Israeli tanks opened fire on Palestinian civilians waiting in line for food and humanitarian aid.
