President Donald Trump issued a major warning to Iran on Monday evening, urging “everyone” to “immediately evacuate Tehran” as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate. The 47th president also left the G7 summit early on Monday to meet with his National Security Council in the White House’s Situation Room.
In a Monday evening statement on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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!”
According to Fox News, Trump’s evacuation warning came as the White House confirmed that the president would be returning early from the G7 summit in Canada “because of what’s going on in the Middle East.” The outlet noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also planning to return early from the G7 summit.
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Fox News reported that Trump also informed his National Security Council to be ready to meet when he returned from the summit.
In a video with other world leaders shared by the White House’s Rapid Response 47 account, Trump told reporters, “I have to be back.” He added, “You probably see what I see. And I have to be back as soon as I can.”
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows “thousands and thousands” of Iranian citizens leaving Tehran after Trump’s warning on Monday night.
Following Trump’s warning to Iran and confirmation that the president would be returning from Canada early to meet with his National Security Council in the White House’s Situation Room, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Fox News’ Jesse Waters that the United States remained “postured defensively.”
“What you’re watching in real time is peace through strength and America first,” Hegseth said. “Our job is to be strong. 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.”
“My job as the secretary of defense is to ensure that our people are safe and that we’re strong so that we can set the conditions for a deal,” Hegseth added. “And President Trump’s made it clear it’s on the table. The question is whether Iran will take it.”
