U.S. President Donald Trump met with senior members of his national security team on Friday to discuss the war with Iran, according to Axios, citing two U.S. officials.
According to the report, the significance of the meeting lies in the fact that Trump is seriously considering launching new strikes on Iran unless a last-minute breakthrough is achieved in negotiations, according to sources who spoke directly with the U.S. president.
The meeting coincided with the visit of Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to Tehran, in what appeared to be a final attempt to bridge differences and prevent the resumption of war.
A Qatari delegation also arrived in Tehran on Friday to support mediation efforts.
Munir is expected to meet on Saturday with Major General Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a key figure in Iran’s decision-making process.
A U.S. official familiar with the diplomatic efforts described the negotiations as “painful and exhausting,” saying draft proposals are being exchanged “daily” without significant progress.
According to Axios, those attending the meeting alongside Trump included Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and other officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not attend due to his presence in Europe, while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine was absent because he was attending a graduation ceremony at the Naval Academy.
During the meeting, Trump was briefed on the latest developments in the negotiations and various scenarios in the event the talks collapse.
Hours after the meeting, the White House announced a change to Trump’s weekend schedule: he would return to Washington after a planned speech in New York on Friday evening instead of remaining at his golf club in Bedminster.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that he would not attend his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding over the weekend due to “matters relating to government, and my love for the United States of America.”
He added: “I feel it is important to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House, during this critical time.”
Axios also cited a source close to Trump and another source familiar with the matter as saying that the president has grown increasingly frustrated in recent days with the course of negotiations with Iran.
The two sources said Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that he wanted to give diplomacy another chance, but by Thursday evening he was leaning toward ordering a strike.
