Trump denies G7 exit linked to Macron's Israel-Iran ceasefire remarks

U.S. President Donald Trump has denied claims that his early departure from the G7 summit was related to efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. In a post shared on Truth Social late Monday, Trump refuted statements by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had suggested that Trump left the meeting in Canada to return to Washington for discussions concerning the conflict in the Middle East.

“Macron incorrectly stated that I left the G7 summit to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran,” Trump wrote. “That’s false. He has no idea why I’m heading back to Washington, but it’s certainly not related to any ceasefire. It involves matters far more significant.”

Earlier that day, Macron had told reporters that Trump had proposed an initiative aimed at halting the escalating violence between Israel and Iran. “There is indeed a proposal for dialogue and a ceasefire,” Macron claimed, indicating that it could open the door to broader negotiations.

Trump’s departure from the summit coincided with heightened tensions in the Middle East. On Friday, Israel launched air strikes against Iran, triggering a series of retaliatory attacks. The military exchange has intensified concerns across a region already destabilized by Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023.

Reports from Iranian officials indicate that the recent violence has resulted in more than 220 fatalities, mostly among civilians. Israel, in turn, reported that 24 of its civilians were killed.

Western nations, including Israel and the U.S., have consistently pressed Iran to limit its nuclear program. Tehran, however, insists it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and maintains that its nuclear activities are peaceful and permitted under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which it is a signatory.

In contrast, Israel is not a party to the NPT and is widely believed to possess nuclear arms. Despite the mounting hostilities, Washington has reaffirmed that Trump’s administration was still pursuing a nuclear agreement with Iran.