WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (TodayViralUSA) — President Donald Trump’s senior national security team met for hours at Camp David on Friday to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces in Yemen, three U.S. officials told Axios, in a gathering that was not publicly announced.
Vice President JD Vance chaired the session at the presidential retreat in Maryland, the officials said. Participants included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One official described the talks as substantive, saying options were “decided or at least deeply discussed.” The White House declined to comment when asked about the meeting.
Iran decision and Yemen pressure
The huddle came as negotiations with Tehran remain stalled and Trump weighs whether to resume major combat operations. On Thursday he said he faced a choice between Iran signing a deal “or it won’t exist any longer.” Asked Friday about his next move while advisers met at Camp David, Trump told reporters that if he disclosed it they would have “a major story,” adding that Iran was “not doing well.”
Saudi Arabia has also pressed Washington to join planned operations against the Houthis, including possible U.S. airstrikes. Officials said Trump has leaned against joining that campaign but could reverse course.
Separately, a source in Tehran told The National on Saturday that Iran is preparing for a “major round of fighting,” even as diplomats exchange proposals over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran conveyed a seven-day plan through Qatar to reopen the waterway; Washington has sent a counterproposal that Iranian officials appear unlikely to accept in its current form.
A U.S. official confirmed earlier this week that a third aircraft carrier strike group, centered on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, is heading toward U.S. Central Command’s Middle East area of operations, underscoring the military backdrop to the Camp David deliberations.
The last comparable Camp David national-security conclave cited by the Axios sources took place in June 2025, days before Israel went to war with Iran. With midterm elections weeks away and energy markets still unsettled by the conflict, the Friday meeting underscores how closely Iran and Yemen policy are now intertwined in White House planning.
Reporting informed by: Axios — Trump aides Camp David meeting on Iran, Yemen; The National — Iran preparing for major round of fighting
Image: Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons (file photo of a Camp David cabinet meeting)
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