US Officials Meet Secretly at Camp David on Iran and Yemen

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance chaired a multi-hour meeting at Camp David attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kink. According to an official, the meeting involved in-depth discussions or decisions on Middle East crisis files. The White House declined to comment on the gathering, which Axios described as unusual. A similar session was last held in June 2025, shortly before the outbreak of war between Israel and Iran.

The meeting occurs as the Trump administration considers resuming large-scale military operations against Iran, amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran. President Trump stated on Thursday that Iran faces a choice between reaching a deal or confronting further military escalation, emphasizing that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a key objective. On the Yemen front, Saudi Arabia is pressing Washington to participate in airstrikes against the Houthis as part of a broader offensive planned by Riyadh in coordination with Yemeni government forces to recapture areas on the Red Sea coast. The United States has not yet decided on direct participation in these operations.

While his advisors convened at Camp David, Trump declined to reveal his next steps regarding Iran, telling reporters that any announcement would be "big news." He added that things were proceeding well and that Iran "is not in a good situation."