President Donald Trump is urging everyone in Tehran to evacuate after Iranian officials failed to sign a new nuclear agreement with the United States. Trump’s plea comes after leaving the G7 meeting in Canada early and returning to Washington, D.C., to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The Israeli military officially ordered people in Tehran to evacuate Monday, June 16, due to an expected bombing targeting military sites. It’s a serious escalation in conflict, with both public and military figures signaling that an attack on Iran’s capital could be imminent. Tehran is a city of approximately 10 million people.
“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign,” Trump posted to his social media platform, Truth Social. “What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
G7 Summit and UK trade agreement
On Monday, Trump attended the G7 Summit in Canada, where Leavitt stated he “had a great day” and signed a trade agreement with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“It’s a fair deal for both — going to produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income,” Trump said, highlighting the agreement while appearing alongside Starmer.
Leavitt later posted on X that, “Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”
The president had originally been scheduled to remain at the G7 Summit until Wednesday morning, June 18, before returning to the United States.
Escalation in Middle East tensions
Tensions between Israel and Iran have been ongoing and escalated Friday, June 13, after Israel launched an attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites, with both sides continuing to retaliate. In response, Iran has privately told Arab officials that it might be willing to restart diplomatic talks, but only if the United States stays out of the military conflict, according to The Wall Street Journal.
US military posture and deployment
Currently, the U.S. Navy is sending the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East months ahead of schedule, according to Fox News. Officials tell The War Zone it’s to replace the USS Carl Vinson Strike Group, which is currently stationed there.
However, it’s unclear when the USS Carl Vinson is scheduled to leave the region, TWZ reported. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a post on X: “American Forces are maintaining their defensive posture & that has not changed. We will protect American troops & our interests.”
contributed to this report.