politics
Trump Meets Advisers on Iran as Negotiations Continue
President Trump held a meeting with senior national security officials on Friday to discuss the status of talks with Iran. Two U.S. officials said the session covered negotiation drafts and potential outcomes if talks fail. A White House schedule change followed the meeting.
May 22, 4:31 PM·1m read1 source
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U.S. officials told Axios. The meeting included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine were absent because they were traveling in Europe and attending a Naval Academy graduation, respectively.
U.S. official said. Iran's Foreign Ministry stated on Friday that talks remain ongoing but a deal is not close. Field Marshal Asim Munir, head of Pakistan's military, arrived in Tehran on Friday for meetings aimed at narrowing differences. A Qatari delegation also reached Tehran the same day.
Munir is scheduled to meet Saturday with Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Several hours after the meeting, the White House announced that Trump would return to Washington after a planned speech in New York on Friday evening instead of staying at his Bedminster Golf Club. Two sources close to Trump told Axios that the president had grown increasingly frustrated with the pace of negotiations in recent days.
On Tuesday he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he wanted to give diplomacy more time; by Thursday night he was leaning toward ordering a strike, the sources said. A source close to Trump said the president has discussed the possibility of a final major military operation after which he could declare victory and end the war.
There is no indication that Trump has decided to resume military action.
