Senior national security officials in US President Donald Trump's administration held an undisclosed meeting at the Camp David resort on Friday, 2 October 2026, to discuss next steps in the war with Iran and the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen, according to three US officials quoted in a report.
The meeting lasted for hours and was chaired by US Vice-President JD Vance, without the US administration announcing it in advance. Those attending included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
One official, referring to the crisis in the Middle East, said issues raised during the meeting had “either had decisions made on them, or at least been discussed in depth”. The official did not specify the nature of the decisions or options considered by those attending, while the White House declined to comment on the meeting.
Camp David meeting and Iran's military options
The meeting was described as unusual because it was held without an official announcement and involved several of the leading officials responsible for security and military decision-making. The last similar meeting at Camp David was held in June 2025, days before the war between Israeli forces and Iran broke out. The meeting came as Trump considers resuming large-scale military operations in Iran following the failure of negotiations over a possible agreement with Tehran.
The US president said on Thursday that Iran now faced a choice between signing the agreement and facing consequences that threatened its survival. Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, as his advisers were at Camp David, Trump declined to reveal his next step towards Iran. Asked about the matter, he said: “If I told you, you would have a big story, but you will see.
Saudi Arabia seeks US support against the Houthis
Things are going very well, and Iran is not in a good position.” The Camp David discussions also included the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen, amid a Saudi request for the United States to join an attack Riyadh is planning against the group. Saudi Arabia is pressing Washington, according to US officials, to carry out air strikes on Houthi sites in support of the operation.
Trump had been inclined to reject US participation in the proposed attack, but US officials said his position could change.
The report did not reveal whether the Camp David meeting had reached a final decision on US participation or on possible military steps against Iran.
