In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) called for the immediate evacuation of Tehran, slamming Iran for refusing to sign a nuclear deal and warning of devastating consequences. His remarks came as Israel intensified airstrikes in the Iranian capital.
Using his Truth Social platform, Trump declared, “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” He added, “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!”
Moments after the post, the White House announced Trump would leave the G7 summit in Canada early to “attend to many important matters.” In another post, he reinforced his longstanding opposition to Iran’s nuclear program, tying it to his “America First” policy: “AMERICA FIRST means many GREAT things, including the fact that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Israeli strikes over Tehran, which began Thursday night, reportedly intensified following Trump’s remarks. Iranian state media confirmed explosions and heavy air defense activity, though it’s unclear if there’s a direct connection to Trump’s social media warnings.
According to Israeli sources, the military now has complete air dominance over Tehran and is expanding its targets beyond military installations. Civilian evacuation orders were issued in multiple densely populated areas, including neighborhoods housing Iranian state TV offices.
The scale of evacuations remains uncertain, as Tehran’s population of over 10 million faces a near-impossible task of rapid relocation.
Just hours before his online posts, Trump had said at the G7 summit that the U.S. was in phone contact with Iran and suggested that talks might be more fruitful in person. “I think a deal will be signed. I think Iran is foolish not to sign one,” he stated. Later, he hinted a diplomatic breakthrough might occur shortly after his summit departure: “I think Iran is basically at the negotiating table and wants to make a deal.”
Meanwhile, Iran has appealed to the U.S. for help in ending the aerial bombardments, which have escalated in both intensity and scope over the past several days.
