President Trump said early Tuesday morning that he wants "a real end" to Iran's nuclear problem, with Tehran "giving up entirely" its enrichment activities. He said he was not just working toward a ceasefire to end the war between Iran and Israel, which has claimed at least two dozen lives in Israel and hundreds in Iran as it enters its fifth day.
"I didn't say I was looking for a ceasefire," Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One after cutting short his time at the G7 summit in Canada.
Earlier, the president said on his Truth Social platform that French President Emmanuel Macron had "mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a 'cease fire' between Israel and Iran. Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that."
Mr. Trump predicted that Israel would not slow its assault on Iran, which has largely decapitated the Islamic republic's military command and inflicted significant damage to its controversial nuclear program.
"You're going to find out over the next two days. You're going to find out. Nobody's slowed up so far," he said, hours after issuing an ominous warning that all of Tehran's roughly 10 million inhabitants should "immediately evacuate."
Asked about that warning on Air Force One early Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he wanted "people to be safe," without offering any further explanation. Israel on Monday warned about 300,000 residents in a central district of Tehran to evacuate, pending attacks in the area.
Mr. Trump suggested the reason he didn't want to stay in Canada was because he couldn't confidentially monitor developments in the Middle East. He said he could be "more well versed" in the White House Situation Room and avoid cellphones. "I don't believe in telephones — because people like you listen to them," he told reporters on the plane. "Being on the scene is much better."
A source with knowledge of the talks told CBS News on Monday that Tehran had indicated to negotiators in Qatar and Oman that it was prepared to discuss a new deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, but not while it was still under Israeli attack.
The president said it was possible he could send special envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance, or both, to meet with Iranian negotiators, but "it depends what happens when I get back" to Washington.
"I don't know," Mr. Trump added. "I'm not too much in the mood to negotiate."
Addressing any possible threat to U.S. interests in the region, Mr. Trump said Iran knew not to target U.S. forces, as the U.S. would "come down so hard if they do anything to our people."
The president declined to say whether Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Lt. Gen. Dan Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had provided him with options in the event Iran does attack U.S. bases in the Middle East.
"I can't tell you that," he said.
Asked if it would take U.S. involvement to destroy Iran's nuclear program, Mr. Trump said he hoped it would be "wiped out long before that."
Trump says Iran was "very close" to obtaining a nuclear weapon
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the attack he ordered on Iran late last week as an "existential" battle for Israel's survival. He claimed intelligence — which Israel has not shared publicly — showed the country was "racing" toward the development of a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu, along with all recent U.S. presidents including Mr. Trump, have always said they could not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Israel expanded its aerial assault on Iran Monday, hitting not only nuclear and military facilities and assassinating senior military leaders, but targeting the regime-controlled media. Iranian State TV's sprawling headquarters in Tehran came under attack as the network was broadcasting.
CBS News' Seyed Bathaei in Tehran said the network remained on the air, but that one part of its compound was on fire Monday evening.
In a clear show of domination over its long-time archrival, Israel also said Tuesday that it had killed the Iranian military's chief of staff, just four days after his predecessor was killed in Israel's first round of strikes.
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