US planning to strike Iran tonight? Trump official clarifies after ‘evacuate Tehran’ warning

President Donald Trump's ‘evacuate Tehran’ comment on Monday caused chaos as Israel reportedly bombed parts of the Iranian capital late at night

Updated on: Jun 17, 2025, 06:31:31 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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President Donald Trump's ‘evacuate Tehran’ comment on Monday caused chaos as Israel reportedly bombed parts of the Iranian capital late at night. A White House official later told CNN that by ‘evacuate’ the president was trying to convey the urgency of the need for Iran to come to the table. The 78-year-old has left the G7 summit in Canada a day early due to the conflict, his administration said.

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit (AFP)

Trump posted: 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!"

Is the US striking Iran tonight?

While President Trump asked the NSC and Situation Room to be readied, an official told CBS News that the US is not joining Israel offensively in its military operation.

“American Forces are maintaining their defensive posture & that has not changed. We will protect American troops and our interests,” a Pentagon spokesperson told multiple media outlets.

This comes after White House said that Trump is cutting short his visit to the Group of Seven leaders’ summit. “President Trump will return to Washington tonight so he can attend to many important matters,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

She further cited the escalating crisis in the Middle East, where Israel and Iran have been trading attacks.

“President Trump had a great day at the G7, even signing a major trade deal with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer,” Leavitt wrote. “Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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