Trump National Security Team Holds Secret Camp David Meeting on Iran War, Yemen Conflict
Senior members of President Donald Trump’s national security team met privately at Camp David on Friday to discuss the war with Iran and a widening fight in Yemen between Iran-backed Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed government.
Vice President JD Vance chaired the meeting, according to Axios. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine also attended, CBS News reported.
Trump was not reported to have been at the session. Officials considered possible next steps in the Iran war and whether the United States should support a Saudi-backed campaign against the Houthis.
The discussions came as U.S. forces moved a dozen B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom over the weekend, the Pentagon said. A U.S. official said the base faced a threat of attack from Iran.
Rubio told reporters Monday that there are “regular rotations” of U.S. Air Force assets around the world and said the bomber movement was not directly connected to the Iranian threat.
“We have confidence in the security of all of our bases. All of our bases could be threatened theoretically at any moment and that is why there is so much security built around them,” he said.
Rubio said the United States was cooperating with the British government on an investigation into the threat, adding that “they couldn’t be more cooperative.”
British security forces arrested several dual British-Iranian citizens last week on suspicion of planning an attack on the airbase.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is seeking additional U.S. military support as Yemen’s internationally recognized government moves to retake Houthi-controlled territory. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman spoke with Hegseth Thursday about the planned campaign and renewed a request for direct U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets, according to Axios.
The Trump administration has not approved American combat operations for the new offensive. U.S. officials say Washington is providing intelligence and targeting assistance to Saudi and Yemeni forces, but is not conducting direct strikes against the Houthis as part of the campaign. One official said that could change depending on battlefield developments.
U.S. Central Command has reportedly raised concerns about opening another major front while American forces remain heavily engaged against Iran.
The Houthis, who have received weapons and other support from Tehran for years, have become increasingly involved in the wider regional conflict. They have launched missiles and drones at Saudi targets, including energy facilities, while battling Saudi-backed Yemeni forces for strategically important territory.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced Sunday that it was beginning a major operation to retake Houthi-held areas. Tens of thousands of government troops are taking part, with extensive air support from Saudi Arabia.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said the campaign’s ultimate goal is to recover Houthi-controlled territory, including the capital, Sanaa.
Trump has said he wants the conflict with Iran to end, while warning that further U.S. military action remains an option. At a rally Friday night in Mobile, Alabama, he predicted the war would end “very soon,” possibly after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
“It’s gonna end very soon, probably right after the election,” Trump said.
Trump argued that American strikes had caused extensive damage to Iran’s military and infrastructure, leaving the country unable to quickly rebuild even if U.S. operations ended.
“We could leave tomorrow and it would take them years to rebuild from what we did to them,” Trump said. “They shoulda negotiated.”
He specifically cited earlier B-2 bomber strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“The B-2 bombers took ’em out,” Trump said.
Diplomatic efforts have continued alongside the fighting, though recent talks have shown little visible progress. Rubio last week ordered an Iranian delegation visiting New York for the United Nations General Assembly to leave the United States after U.S. officials concluded discussions had stalled.
Two members of the delegation later departed after the State Department demanded they leave. Tehran disputed Washington’s account of the episode.