Trump to depart G7 early as Israel-Iran conflict shows signs of intensifying

President Donald Trump is abruptly leaving the G7 summit, departing a day early on Monday as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies and the US leader has declared that Tehran should be evacuated 'immediately'.
World leaders had gathered in Canada with the specific goal of helping to defuse a series of global pressure points, only to be disrupted by a showdown over Iran's nuclear programme that could escalate in dangerous and uncontrollable ways.
Israel launched an aerial bombardment campaign against Iran four days ago.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer participate in a group photo at the G7 Summit (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
At the summit, Mr Trump warned that Tehran needs to curb its nuclear programme before it is 'too late'.
He said Iranian leaders would 'like to talk' but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before the Israeli aerial assault began.
'They have to make a deal,' he said.
Asked what it would take for the US to get involved in the conflict militarily, Mr Trump said on Monday morning: 'I don't want to talk about that.'
But by Monday afternoon, Mr Trump warned ominously on social media, 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!'
Shortly after that, Mr Trump decided to leave the summit and skip a series of Tuesday meetings that would address the ongoing war in Ukraine and global trade issues.
As Mr Trump posed for a picture on Monday evening with the other G7 leaders, he said simply: 'I have to be back, very important.'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the host, said: 'I am very grateful for the president's presence and I fully understand.'

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Irish Times

an hour ago

• Irish Times

How effective was the US attack on Iran's nuclear sites?

Donald Trump was quick to claim that US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities had 'completely and totally obliterated' them . Still, it remains unclear how much physical damage has been done or what the longer-term impact might be on Iran's nuclear programme. What was the target? Israel-Iran map The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but insisted that its nuclear programme would not be stopped. Both Iran and the United Nations nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination around the three locations after the strikes. The Iranian Red Crescent also reported no deaths in the US strikes on the nuclear sites, appearing to confirm Iranian claims they had been evacuated in advance. In the immediate aftermath, US military officials suggested the three sites had suffered 'severe damage' after an operation that had been weeks in planning, suggesting that it was fully co-ordinated in advance with Israel . The Pentagon said a battle damage assessment was still being conducted. READ MORE What do we know about the strike on Fordow? Iran's underground nuclear enrichment site at Fordow was one of three targeted by the US. Photograph: Planet Labs PBC/AP Long regarded as the most difficult military target among Iran's nuclear sites, the uranium enrichment facilities at Fordow – the primary target of the operation – are buried beneath the Zagros Mountains. Reports have suggested that the site was constructed beneath between 45m and 90m of bedrock, largely limestone and dolomite. Some experts have suggested that the layering of the sedimentary rocks, including faults, would also make it more difficult to strike the centrifuge array, providing a kind of geological cushioning against a blast wave. The attack – code-named Operation Midnight Hammer – was carried out by seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers flying from the US, after a deception flight by other B-2s into the Pacific. Tomahawk missiles were also fired from US ships in waters south of Iran. The site was hit by a dozen 13,600kg ordnance penetrators – known as bunker busters – at about 2.10am Iranian time. It was the massive weapon's first operational use. The number used suggests some lack of confidence that a smaller strike could penetrate to the target. The result would, to a large extent, depend on the kind of concrete inside the facility, with estimates of the bunker busters' penetration based largely on reinforced concrete resistant to 5,000 psi. Iran is believed to have used more resistant concrete. [ US attack on Iran 'not about regime change', says defence secretary after Trump hails 'spectacular military success' Opens in new window ] While video from the site showed evidence of a fire in the immediate aftermath, satellite images published on Sunday were inconclusive. The Open Source Centre in London highlighted what appeared to be at least two locations where the weapons appeared to have penetrated. While the main support building at the site looked to be undamaged, the topography of a prominent area of ridge lines and small wadis appeared to have altered and been flattened out, with some evidence of rock scarring exposing damaged bedrock near an area that could show fresh cratering. Analysts had previously suggested that a strike could hit the main entrance tunnel to the site. However, the main effort appears to have been in a different location. There was speculation that the chief aim of the strikes may have been to bury access to Fordow. What was the impact at Isfahan? Isfahan's nuclear technology centre was struck by cruise missiles as opposed to bunker busters. Video posted on social media showed a distant detonation from the site on Saturday night. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in addition to four hit by Israeli strikes, six other buildings now been attacked, including a fuel rod production facility. The IAEA said facilities targeted at Isfahan either contained no nuclear material or small quantities of natural or low-enriched uranium. What was hit at Natanz? Natanz had previously been damaged by the first Israeli strikes of the conflict, with assessments then suggesting they had hit the power plant supplying the main centrifuge hall. Uranium had been enriched to up to 60 per cent, short of weapons-grade material. It appears that Natanz's underground enrichment hall was targeted, but it is unclear how much damage was inflicted. In response to the US strikes, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday, triggering countrywide air raid sirens and injuring 16 people. Was Iran's nuclear programme obliterated? Vehicles at the Fordow enrichment facility in Iran on June 20th. Photograph: Maxar Technologies/AP Iran has claimed that it evacuated the sites several days ago, and satellite imagery from several days ago suggests there was unusual truck traffic at Fordow. That appears to confirm the movement of some material from the site, possibly including the uranium stockpile – or parts of it – which remains unaccounted for. Hassan Abedini, the deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites – Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow – some time ago. 'The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,' he said. Three days before the US attacks, 16 cargo trucks were seen near the Fordow entrance tunnel. The head of the AEOI, Mohammad Eslami, claimed this month that Iran had another enrichment site 'in a secure and invulnerable location' where centrifuges could be. Analysts have long argued that while it is possible to disrupt the physical function of a nuclear facility and limit the scope of a programme through, for example, the Israeli assassination of scientists, the breadth of technical knowledge acquired during the decades-long programme is impossible to destroy. [ How Iran could hit back at the US and what that could mean Opens in new window ] Ultimately, the question is whether the US-Israeli attacks are seen as sufficient for Iran to capitulate, or whether they instead encourage the regime to accelerate its efforts to produce a viable nuclear weapon. – Guardian

Irish Examiner

2 hours ago

• Irish Examiner

15 Irish citizens being evacuated from Israel, Tánaiste says

15 Irish citizens are being evacuated from Israel amid the escalating conflict with Iran, Tánaiste Simon Harris has confirmed. The Government is working to evacuate a number of citizens from Israel and Iran, with approximately 200 based in the former and 29 in the latter. 'Right now there is an evacuation underway of 15 Irish citizens and their dependents, so 15 in total,' Mr Harris said. 'We've been working closely with EU counterparts in relation to that, and I hope to be in a position to issue further details on that shortly.' When the evacuation is complete, Mr Harris said the Government will have dealt with all current evacuation requests for Israel. The Tánaiste confirmed there were a number of citizens in Iran who wished to be evacuated, with work underway to try and get them out of the country. 'It's not easy work as you can imagine, the airspace is closed and the only way of being evacuated is over land border with often long journeys that are not without difficulty and not without danger,' Mr Harris said. The Fine Gael leader said the actions of the US President overnight had 'added a new layer of complexity and volatility to an already very dangerous tinderbox'. He added there is a 'real risk of spillover' in the conflict that could see it escalate into a further regional war. 'There is a real risk, by either a miscalculation or by intent, that already a very dangerous conflict spreads between the two countries involved,' Mr Harris said. Mr Harris also raised concerns about the possibility of oil routes being shut down, which would be a 'further economic worry'. The Tánaiste also confirmed his call with the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, saying he was 'full of anger' over the attacks by Israel and the US. Mr Harris said Mr Takht-Ravanchi outlined the Iranian position that the US and Israel would need to 'learn lessons and pay a price'. He said the Government would continue to push for negotiations to end the war, adding there was 'no alternative' to diplomacy. It comes ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, with discussions set to be dominated by the escalating war between Israel and Iran. Urgent need to 'de-escalate' tensions There is an urgent need to 'de-escalate' tensions in the Middle East after the US carried out strikes against Iran, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. Mr Martin called on 'all actors' in the Middle East to de-escalate the situation. "Diplomacy and dialogue is ultimately the only way to resolve these issues. Iran should commit not to develop nuclear weapons and disavow its nuclear and uranium enrichment programme,' Mr Martin said. "Nuclear safety is an issue here. Modern warfare is very destructive. It is civilians who ultimately suffer and that is why we need an end to these wars and an end to conflict.' Speaking to RTÉ, Mr Martin said the world should not forget about 'the catastrophe that is still unfolding in Gaza' while the war between Israel and Iran is ongoing. This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows damage at the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran after U.S. strikes, Sunday, June 22, 2025. Picture: Maxar Technologies via AP Tánaiste Simon Harris said he was "closely monitoring" the situation in Iran after the overnight strikes by the US. It is understood that Mr Harris has spoken with the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, after the overnight attacks. The call took place due to a request from Iran's government, with similar calls also taking place between Iranian officials and counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt in recent days. Mr Harris was said to have expressed 'grave concern' at the overnight escalation, while adding it was important Iran engaged in formal talks to de-escalate the conflict. "The risk of an extremely dangerous spiral of escalation in relation to Iran and Israel is now more real and more likely than ever before," Mr Harris said. "There is an urgent need for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy." Mr Harris said: "Europe, including Ireland, is fully united in the clear view that Iran should not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. "The way to address this was always through a negotiated solution. Any alternative to that is simply too dangerous for civilians, for the Middle East region and for global security." He added that discussions would be taking place among EU foreign ministers in the hours ahead to consider "the next steps Europe can usefully play to support de-escalation". Mr Harris added he is aware of the large contingent of Irish peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon, saying he is receiving regular updates from the chief of staff of the Defence Forces. Mr Harris said the US President's actions have resulted in an 'extraordinarily dangerous escalation of a conflict that could already be described as a tinderbox'. 'I need to be very clear and very blunt. We're now entering a moment of particular danger, because I think the chances now of a spiral of escalation are more likely than ever before,' Mr Harris said, speaking on RTÉ Radio's This Week. 'There is a real chance of the international community losing all control of this very, very volatile conflict.' Asked if international law norms have gone out the window, Mr Harris said it was 'sadly true'. 'The only way this will be resolved and the only way really people can step back from the brink now is through de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue,' Mr Harris said. On Irish citizens seeking to leave Iran, Mr Harris said it was an 'ongoing situation' but he would have a significant update later on Sunday.

The Journal

2 hours ago

• The Journal

US bombs caused 'extremely severe damage and destruction' to three Iranian nuclear sites

THE EXTENT OF the damage caused to the three Iranian nuclear sites by US bombs, which were dropped on the locations overnight, has yet to be fully determined , according to US military command. During a press conference at the Pentagon in the US today, the chairman of the US military chiefs Dan Caine said the army is confident that 'extremely severe damage and destruction' was caused. At the same event, US defence minister Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Trump Administration did not inform Congress, the houses of parliament, before it bombed the three nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran. Advertisement The shock-announcement by US President Donald Trump that the US had launched strikes on Iran came just two days after the Republican had given a two-week deadline for Iran to engage in nuclear peace negotiations. Hegseth and Caine detailed the operation, named Midnight Hammer. Caine said that the mission was contained and that the US Army bombers had not been spotted by the Iranian military throughout the mission. He added that the entirety of the mission maintained an element of surprise. 'I know that battle damage is of great interest. Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Caine said. More than 125 US aircraft participated in the operation, he said, in which fourteen 30,000-pound bombs were dropped on the locations across Iran. Related Reads Ireland's reaction to the US bombing Iran: 'There is an urgent need for de-escalation' No signs of radioactive contamination after US attack on Iran, says nuclear watchdog Hegseth said: 'The President authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests, posed by the Iranian nuclear programme and the collective self-defence of our troops and our ally Israel.' Fielding questions from reporters, Hegseth was asked about the criticism of the Trump administration for not informing elected officials of its plan to carry out Midnight Hammer. He said: '[Congress] were notified after the planes were safely out when we complied with the notification requirements of the War Powers Act, they were notified. They were [informed] immediately thereafter.' The US War Powers Act requires the president to notify elected officials within 48 hours of assigning armed forces to military action. The administration ascertains its position that it notified Congress within the time frame of the law. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal