Kananaskis [Canada], June 18: The leaders of G7 nations have urged a "de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza" - but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, during their summit in Canada.
The joint statement was signed by US President Donald Trump - who then left the meeting early, his intentions unclear. His press secretary said this was because of events in the Middle East. The president himself merely said he was returning to Washington for "big stuff", but denied this was related to a ceasefire.
He earlier urged Iranians to "immediately evacuate Tehran". This triggered speculation that US forces might join Israel's attacks - something denied by American officials.
The gathering of world leaders at Kananaskis, in the Canadian Rockies, has been overshadowed by the Middle East conflict.
The leaders' statement, published as Trump left Canada, said Israel had a right to defend itself, and that Iran was a source of terror that should not have a nuclear weapon. Its call for a resolution of the crisis that led to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East amounted to a diplomatic compromise that preserved G7 unity but watered down the statement's impact.
As he left, Trump told reporters: "I have to be back early for obvious reasons." He later wrote again on Truth Social, lambasting another G7 attendee, President Emmanuel Macron of France. Trump said his "publicity seeking" counterpart mistakenly suggested he was working on a ceasefire.
"Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire," Trump wrote. "Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!"
G7 leaders had said they understood Trump's need to leave early. "If the United States can achieve a ceasefire, that's a very good thing," said Macron.
Reports circulated that Trump had instructed the White House National Security Council to meet upon his return.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the "deployment of additional capabilities" to the Middle East to enhance the Pentagon's "defensive posture", despite US officials' denial that they were about to join the Israeli offensive.
Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, was at pains to emphasise that Trump had "a great day" at the summit, saying much was accomplished, including a trade deal between the US and UK.
She did not elaborate on his departure other than to say it was because of "what's going on in the Middle East".
Source: Qatar Tribune
