President Donald Trump arrived back in Washington early Tuesday after cutting short his attendance at the Group of Seven summit in Canada, citing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote Monday on X that “because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”
“I have to be back as soon as I can,” Trump told reporters in response to a question Monday night about his plans to leave the summit at the Canadian Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis in Alberta.
“We’re gonna have dinner with these wonderful leaders and then I get on a plane. I have to be back early for obvious reasons.”
Trump requested that the National Security Council be prepared in the Situation Room when he returned from the summit, an administration official told NBC News.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington, Trump said he wants to see a "real end" to the conflict between Israel and Iran, not just a cease-fire. Trump said he might send Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff to negotiate with the Iranians.
Trump also said he believes Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon despite the March testimony of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to Congress saying otherwise.
"I don't care what she said. I think they were very close to having it," Trump said.
Asked why he warned civilians on Monday to evacuate Tehran, Trump said there was no threat but that he just wanted "people to be safe."
Trump also warned that if Iran strikes U.S. assets or troops, the U.S. would "come down so hard if they do anything to our people. ... I think they know not to touch our troops."
Administration officials did not immediately respond to requests for additional details.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was returning to Washington with Trump.
Leavitt said in Monday’s post that “much was accomplished" in spite of Trump’s early departure, and she referred to Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s progress on trade amid negotiations for a broader deal between the two countries.
The agreement formally adjusts some tariffs to terms the parties announced last month. It does not immediately eliminate steel tariffs, as the two leaders agreed in May, so imports of British steel will still carry a 25% duty.
In a statement late Monday, Trump and other G7 leaders called for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict. The group affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself and said Iran was the “principal source” of instability in the Middle East.
“We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the group said.
A White House official had told NBC News earlier that Trump would not sign the statement.
Trump said on Truth Social that Iran “should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign” and urged Tehran’s 10 million residents to evacuate the city “immediately,” without providing any details.
Thousands of Israel’s residents were evacuated because of Iran’s retaliatory strikes, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the embassy branch in Tel Aviv announced closures Monday as Israel and Iran each launched a new round of attacks. They will remain closed on Tuesday, the State Department said.
The death toll has steadily increased since Israel mounted its first attack Friday, with at least 224 people killed in Iran, including members of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s inner circle, according to Iranian state media. Retaliatory strikes by Iran have killed at least 24 people in Israel, according to Israeli officials.
