President Trump will depart the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Monday night, a day earlier than planned, because of the growing conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPresident Trump had a great day at the G7, even signing a major trade deal with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer,<\/u><\/a>\u201d White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt\u2002<\/u><\/a>posted on the social platform X. \u201cMuch was accomplished, but because of what\u2019s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The White House announced Trump\u2019s altered schedule shortly after a series of posts he made on Truth Social that struck an ominous tone toward Iran, including one calling for everyone in the capital city of Tehran to \u201cimmediately evacuate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAMERICA FIRST means many GREAT things, including the fact that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,\u201d Trump wrote in a separate post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spokespeople for both the Pentagon and the White House on Monday night said U.S. forces were maintaining a defensive posture in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAmerican Forces are maintaining their defensive posture & that has not changed. We will protect American troops & our interests,\u201d Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell\u2002<\/u><\/a>posted<\/u><\/a> on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Israel and Iran have exchanged strikes since Friday, when Israeli missiles targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and killed multiple top military leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump has been peppered with questions in the days since about potential U.S. involvement in the conflict. While the Trump administration said Israel\u2019s initial strikes were a unilateral action, the U.S. assisted Israel in intercepting retaliatory strikes from Iran last Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The president shortly after Israel\u2019s first strikes indicated Iran may have a \u201csecond chance\u201d at reaching an agreement to limit its nuclear program. But his posts on Monday night, paired with his decision to return to Washington a day earlier than planned, could signal the conflict is about to significantly escalate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2002<\/u><\/a>earlier in the day declined to rule out targeting Iran\u2019s supreme leader, something Trump had reportedly cautioned him against doing. Israeli forces have also said they have crippled Iran\u2019s air defense systems, giving Israel air superiority and the ability to essentially strike at will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump arrived in Kananaskis in Canada late Sunday for the G7 summit. He met on Monday with the leaders of Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Commission. Trump was supposed to hold additional meetings on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky\u2002<\/u><\/a>and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum\u2002<\/u><\/a>and hold a press conference before departing in the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n