Trump Heads to a Fractious G7 in France as Iran Deal Looms

The G7 summit opened Monday in Evian, in the French Alps, with organizers abandoning plans for a joint final communiqué because disagreements among the leaders are too wide. The meeting was also delayed so President Donald Trump could celebrate his birthday at the White House, and it was unclear whether he would remain through Wednesday’s close. French diplomats said that, at best, producing a group photo may count as a success.

Trump arrives after sharply criticizing several hosts and partners over the past year. He has mocked French President Emmanuel Macron, called British Prime Minister Keir Starmer weak, said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni lacks courage, and described Germany’s chancellor as completely lost. He has also imposed new tariffs on European goods, threatened to annex Greenland, and attacked Europe for relying on U.S. security without paying enough to NATO.

Iran is the dominant issue. Trump’s claim that a peace deal could be signed by Friday in nearby Switzerland has taken over the summit agenda. Britain, France, and Germany said Sunday they were launching an independent task force to protect shipping lanes and clear mines, and France could lead a naval mission, with its aircraft carrier already in the Red Sea. The summit may also give Trump a way to present any deal as an international achievement, potentially keeping him engaged after he left last year’s G7 in Canada a day early.

Macron is using what he says will be his final time hosting the summit, before leaving office next year, to push French priorities, including Israel’s presence in Lebanon and France’s two-state vision for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The leaders will also discuss trade barriers against cheap Chinese exports, possible tariffs on Chinese cars, and Ukraine. For the first time at a G7, the heads of OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepMind are expected to join talks on the “safe future” of AI. Meanwhile, tens of thousands protested in Geneva, and Evian has been heavily sealed off by police and military forces.