WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump urged residents of Tehran to evacuate immediately after telling the country it should have signed a nuclear deal with the United States when talks were on the table.
The president arrived back in Washington after leaving early from the Group of Seven summit in Alberta, Canada, where he and other world leaders discussed the now five-day-old air war between Israel and Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters Trump was returning to Washington to work on a ceasefire between the arch-enemies. Trump refuted that.
“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. Much bigger than that,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform early on June 17. He told reporters on his flight home that he’d be holding meetings in the White House situation room and that he returned to Washington, “Just to be a little bit, I think, more well-versed, not having to use telephones so much.”
Trump said he wants something that’s “better than a ceasefire,” without elaborating.
Trump had said for days that Iran should make a deal. But his message became more dire as he warned the Iranian capital’s roughly 10 million residents to flee in the dead of night.
“IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump told reporters that Iran should ‘talk immediately, before it’s too late’
He told reporters as he met with Canada’s prime minister earlier in the day that Iran “should talk immediately, before it’s too late.”
The warnings came as Israel stepped up attacks on Iranian cities, and the warring nations exchanged volleys of air strikes.
Here’s what to know about Trump, the Iran-Israel conflict, and what might come next.
Trump working on a ceasefire, French president says
Macron said Trump’s early departure from the G7 was positive, a move to get Israel and Iran to agree to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire.
“There is an offer that has been made, especially to have a ceasefire and to initiate broader discussions. And I think this is a very good thing,” Macron told reporters. “So now we need to see what the stakeholders will do.”
Earlier in the day, Trump teased a possible U.S. proposal, telling reporters as he met with Canadian Prime Minister Carney, “They have to make a deal.”
“And it’s painful for both parties,” he said. “but I’d say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it’s too late.”
At a group photo later, Carney said he was “very grateful for the American president’s presence” on the first day of the annual summit. Of his abrupt departure, he said, “I fully understand.”
U.S. embassy unable to evacuate Americans from Israel
Staff and family members at the American Embassy in Jerusalem were sheltering in place before dawn on June 17.
“The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel,” the mission said in a security alert, noting that Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Israel’s seaports were closed.
Trump’s administration warned Americans not to travel to Israel the day before, as Iran retaliated for last week’s strikes.
The Chinese embassy in Israel urged its citizens to leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible.
U.S. posture is ‘defensive,’ Pete Hegseth says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News the U.S. still wants a nuclear deal with Iran.
“Of course,” Hegseth said on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Fox. ”We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that’s what happens here.”
Sanders, Massie, Khanna and AOC join forces to prevent U.S. strike on Iran
A number of prominent members of Congress said they will cosponsor measures to block the United States from going to war with Iran.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a self-described “constitutional conservative” Republican from Kentucky, announced a measure “to prohibit our involvement,” and invited all members of Congress to cosponsor it.
“This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,” Massie posted.
The invitation drew enthusiastic agreement from progressive Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
“No war in Iran,” Khanna posted. “It’s time for every member to go on record. Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq or do you stand with the American people?”
An hour later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the left-wing independent from Vermont, announced he had just “introduced legislation to stop Trump from… leading us into an illegal war with Iran.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said earlier on June 16 he would introduce a war powers resolution in the Senate. “It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States,” he said.
Iran wanted Trump to rein in Israel
“If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X, imploring Trump to intervene with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sources told Reuters that Tehran had asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press President Donald Trump to use his influence on Netanyahu and push for an immediate ceasefire. In return, Iran would show flexibility in nuclear negotiations, said the two Iranian and three regional sources.
Israel launched a powerful attack; Iran struck back
Israel struck first on June 13. In a surprise attack, it killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Airstrikes on Iran have also taken at least two of Iran’s uranium enrichments sites offline.
Iran has retaliated with waves of ballistic missiles that have pierced Israel’s defenses, striking residential neighborhoods.
Netanyahu told troops at an air base that Israel was on its way to achieving its two main aims: wiping out Iran’s nuclear program and destroying its missiles.
By midday on June 16, officials from each country said 224 Iranians and 24 Israelis had been killed in the conflict.
Trump leaves summit: ‘I have to be back’
Trump was at the G7 Summit in Canada when he sent his stark warning to Iran. Not long after, the White House abruptly said he would return to Washington early to focus on the deepening conflict.
At a photo with world leaders, Trump told reporters: “I have to be back early.”
“You probably see what I see, and I have to be back as soon as I can,” the president said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also leaving Canada for Washington.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump urges everyone in Tehran to evacuate ‘before it is too late’
Reporting by Francesca Chambers, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
