Trump cuts G7 visit short; summit affirms Israel’s defense rights
Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump abruptly left the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday, cutting his visit short as the escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran entered its fifth consecutive day.
Before departing the summit site in the Canadian Rockies, Trump urged Iran to return to nuclear negotiations. His tone hardened shortly afterward, when he warned, “Tehran must be evacuated immediately.” Within hours, air raid sirens sounded across the Iranian capital and several other cities, as Israel launched new rounds of strikes targeting strategic sites. Iranian air defense units responded, intercepting missiles and reported incursions.
The exchange followed an earlier Iranian missile barrage that struck multiple cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Petah Tikva. That assault came in response to Israeli airstrikes that had targeted Tehran’s state broadcasting headquarters and several high-value military and intelligence sites. The conflict, which erupted on June 13 with Israel’s launch of Operation Rising Lion, has since escalated into the most intense military confrontation between the two countries in years.
A senior US defense official confirmed that the Pentagon had ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its strike group to head toward the region. The official told Al Jazeera that the deployment aims to reinforce defensive postures and protect US forces amid growing concerns about regional spillover.
The G7 leaders, who were still gathered as Trump departed, issued a statement voicing support for Israel’s right to self-defense. “We reaffirm our commitment to Israel’s security,” the communique read, while stressing that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. The statement also emphasized the need to protect civilians and urged all sides to de-escalate, warning that the current crisis could inflame other flashpoints, including Gaza.
Fighting between Israel and Iran has already produced heavy casualties and damage. Dozens of senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, while Iranian missile salvos have left parts of northern and central Israel damaged.
