US President Trump left the G7 meeting in Canada early. The White House cited"events in the Middle East" as the reason for his departure. Trump had previously called for the evacuation of Tehran.

US President Donald Trump has left the G7 summit in Canada early."President Trump will return to Washington tonight to address many important matters," his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.

The US government cited the situation in the Middle East as the reason for the early departure from Kananaskis."Much has been accomplished, but because of events in the Middle East, President Trump will depart tonight after dinner with the leaders," Leavitt wrote on Platform X. Trump was originally scheduled to stay until Tuesday evening.

Trump himself asked for understanding for his early departure."I have to go back, it's very important," he said during the traditional "family photo" with the other heads of state and government. He wanted to thank the"great host" Canada,"but you probably see what I see, and I need to be back as soon as I can."

Trump calls for evacuation in Tehran

Shortly before announcing his departure, Trump called on residents of the Iranian capital Tehran to evacuate."Everyone should leave Tehran immediately," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without giving any reasons.

An estimated nine million people live in the Iranian capital, which has been rocked by Israeli attacks for days. Since the weekend, there have been reports of long traffic jams on major roads as many residents flee. The greater Tehran area is said to have a total population of around 15 million.

In his post, Trump wrote that the Iranian government should have signed the agreement he proposed in the dispute over its nuclear program. He called it a"waste of human life." He added in capital letters: "Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon."

New nuclear talks with Iran?

In recent months, the Trump administration had attempted to negotiate a curb on Iran's nuclear program. Direct talks were held between representatives of Washington and Tehran, mediated by the Gulf state of Oman.

Following the military escalation between Israel and Iran, a planned further round of talks was initially canceled. However, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Iran now wants to return to the negotiating table. Tehran has told mediators from Arab states that it is willing to discuss its nuclear program as long as the US does not participate in the attacks, the paper wrote.

Trump also said in Kananaskis that the Iranians wanted to talk."I think an agreement will be signed," the Republican said. Otherwise, something will happen, he added, without being specific."An agreement will be signed, and I think Iran is stupid not to sign it." Tehran is "practically already at the negotiating table," he emphasized."They want to make a deal, and as soon as I'm out of here, we'll do something."

US increases military presence in the Middle East

Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Friday night, bombing the country's nuclear facilities and military installations, among other things, and killing numerous high-ranking military officers. Iran responded with retaliatory attacks and has since attacked Israel with missiles and drones. The US government has emphasized since the attacks began that it is not involved. However, the US military is supporting Israel in its defense: a THAAD air defense system was already stationed in Israel last year. This system is considered particularly effective in defending against ballistic missiles. In addition, various US warships are stationed in the region and can assist in detecting and defending against incoming missiles.

The US has announced it will increase its military presence in the Middle East. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on X that he ordered this over the weekend to protect its own troops in the region. According to consistent media reports, the US military is sending a second aircraft carrier group to the region. The US also reportedly deployed dozens of tanker aircraft to Europe over the weekend so they can be deployed quickly in the region if necessary.

The US government dismissed reports of American attacks on Iran as"false." US troops in the Middle East remain committed to defending themselves if necessary, Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said on X.

No more meetings with Zelensky

The announcement of Trump's departure comes as a surprise. German government sources had previously reported that the US President had been cooperative at the summit, that the atmosphere in the first working session had been"extremely harmonious"—and that Trump had promised the G7 partners that he would stay until the end of the summit and complete the planned summit program.

With Trump's early departure, the meeting scheduled for Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is traveling to the summit in Kananaskis as a guest, will not take place. Zelensky had announced that he would lobby Trump for continued support for his country in the defensive war against Russia. Among other things, he wanted to propose to the US president that Ukraine purchase weapons from the US.