‘Much Bigger Than That’: Trump Denies G7 Exit Was for Israel-Iran Ceasefire, Slams Macron
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday emphatically denied that he cut his G7 summit visit short to work on an Israel-Iran ceasefire, publicly rebuking French President Emmanuel Macron and cryptically stating his reason for returning to Washington was “much bigger than that.”
The sharp comments, made from Air Force One after his dramatic early departure from the summit in Canada, add a new layer of intrigue to the unfolding crisis in the Middle East, which has seen Israel and Iran exchange direct military fire for five consecutive days.
The diplomatic spat began after Macron, commenting on Trump’s decision to leave the summit a day early, suggested to reporters it was a “positive move” aimed at securing a ceasefire. In a fiery post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shot back.
“Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran. Wrong!” Trump wrote. “He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
The White House had initially announced that Trump would be leaving early to address “what’s going on in the Middle East,” a statement that lent credence to Macron’s interpretation.
The tensions were underscored by Trump’s own alarming social media post just before his departure, in which he urged people to “immediately evacuate Tehran” and reiterated his hardline stance that Iran “CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”
The G7 leaders, including Trump, did release a joint statement calling for de-escalation in the Middle East, affirming Israel’s “right to defend itself” while describing Iran as the “principal source of regional instability and terror.”
Trump’s unexplained “much bigger” reason for his urgent return to Washington, coupled with his directive for his national security team to be present in the Situation Room upon his arrival, has fueled intense speculation in global capitals as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate.
