Topline
President Donald Trump said he wants “something better than a ceasefire” in the Israel-Iran conflict as he dismissed reports of reaching out to the Iranians for “peace talks,” after making an earlier-than-scheduled exit from the ongoing G7 summit in Canada and calling for an immediate evacuation of people from the Iran’s capital, Tehran.
US President Donald Trump departs after a family photo during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the ... More
Trump spoke to reporters onboard Air Force One while returning to Washington and said Trump says he was not looking for a ceasefire but something “better than a ceasefire.”
When asked what could be better than a ceasefire Trump said “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire, a real end,” and added he would also be okay with an Iran “giving up entirely.”
Trump also warned Iran against targeting U.S. personnel or assets saying if that happens “we’ll come down so hard, it’d be gloves off...I think they know not to touch our troops.”
When asked if he would be open to sending Vice President JD Vance or his Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff to negotiate with Iran, Trump first said he may but later stated “I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate now.”
In a post on his Truth Social Platform, the president wrote: “I have not reached out to Iran for “Peace Talks” in any way, shape, or form,” and said any such reports were “HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS.”
The president said if Iran wants to talk “they know how to reach me” and added, “they should have taken the deal that was on the table.”
In a post on his Truth Social Platform, Trump attacked French President Emmanuel Macron, describing him as “Publicity seeking,” for his statement that Trump was flying out of the G7 summit early to work out a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and “then kick-start broader discussions.” Trump said Macron “has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire,” and claimed it was something “Much bigger than that.” Trump departed the G7 Summit early and returned to Washington on Monday night to “attend to many important matters,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Earlier on Monday evening, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON…Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” The president then blamed the situation on Iran’s refusal to sign “the ‘deal’ I told them to sign,” and added: “What a shame, and waste of human life. When asked about the post, Trump said: “I want people to be safe…That’s always possible something could happen. I just want people to be safe.” Earlier in the day the Israeli military had also issued evacuation warnings impacting around 330,000 people in the Iranian capital as it struck some parts of the city—including the Iran’s state TV’s main compound, which was captured in a live broadcast.
In a post on X, Leavitt said Trump was leaving the summit early “because of what’s going on in the Middle East.” Shortly before he left Canada, the president told reporters that that the Iranians “want to make a deal, and as soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something. But I have to leave here.” Fox News reported on Monday evening that Trump had asked his national security to be present in the Situation Room when he returns to the White House.
A U.S. official told reporters earlier on Monday, that Trump would not sign a draft statement of G7 leaders, which included a call for de-escalating the Israel-Iran conflict. The president eventually agreed to sign it after some changes were made to the statement’s “initial draft language,” according to the New York Times. The final statement notes: “We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.” The statement affirms Israel’s “right to defend itself,” describes Iran as the “principal source of regional instability and terror,” and notes “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.” It also calls for a resolution of the ongoing crisis and “a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.”
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled he was open to talks resuming talks with the U.S. if Israel’s strikes on Iran were halted. “If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential. Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue. It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy,” he wrote. The post also attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a “war criminal.”
Lawmakers Make Bipartisan Push To Restrict Trump From Going To War With Iran (Forbes)
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Israel Attacks Iranian State TV During Live Broadcast (Forbes)