President Trump has seemingly hinted that the US could become directly involved in Israel’s war with Iran after making a sudden exit from this week’s G7 meeting in Canada.
Shortly after departing the summit, Trump posted to his Truth Social platform, saying: “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. 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!”
The statement prompted speculation that some form of US intervention was imminent, a prospect swiftly denied by the Pentagon.
However, Trump also denied the suggestion, made by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, that he had returned to Washington to lay the groundwork for ceasefire talks.
The US leader wrote: “Publicity-seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to DC to work on a “ceasefire” between Israel and Iran. Wrong!
"He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a ceasefire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
And the mixed messages have continued, with Trump denying that any ceasefire negotiations were on the table.
It was reported yesterday that Tehran had sent an “urgent message” via Arab intermediaries asking for an end to the hostilities and a reopening of nuclear talks.
That was followed by a report from Axios this morning suggesting that US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff was set to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi this week to discuss a potential end to the war.
But Trump has rubbished the reports as “fake news” and again apparently hinted at greater US involvement, saying: “I have not reached out to Iran for ‘Peace Talks’ in any way, shape, or form.
"If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table - Would have saved a lot of lives!!!”
Likewise, the G7 statement on the conflict pointedly labelled Iran as a key source of terrorism in the Middle East and avoided calling for peace between the two sides, opting instead for a general plea for regional “de-escalation”. The communiqué was reportedly watered down in order to keep the White House on board and preserve G7 unity.
Having American troops directly involved in a foreign conflict is generally regarded as antithetical to Trump’s America First foreign policy platform, but pressure has reportedly been growing within the administration to take military action against Iran amid stalling nuclear negotiations.
Trump was previously reported to favour a diplomatic resolution but, according to the BBC’s Today programme, diplomats in Washington are now uncertain “which way he will jump” on the issue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long pushed for a tougher line on Iran over what Jerusalem sees as the existential risk of the Islamic Republic developing a nuclear weapon.
And, despite reportedly requesting a reopening of negotiations, Tehran is still understood to be unwilling to give up uranium enrichment altogether, maintaining that it is necessary to develop a civilian atomic energy infrastructure.
According to the Axios report, the US sees its “bunker-busting” missiles, which it has not yet, supplied to Israel, as key leverage in forcing the regime back to the table. Whether Washington would go further than supplying the weapons for Israel to conduct the war remains unclear.
