Senior members of US President Donald Trump’s administration held a secret meeting at the presidential retreat at Camp David to discuss next steps regarding the war with Iran and the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to a report published by Axios on Friday, citing informed sources. US Vice-President J.D. Vance chaired the meeting, which the Trump administration did not announce.
Senior officials’ participation in the secret meeting
The report described the meeting as unusual, given the sensitivity of the issues discussed and developments linked to the crisis in the Middle East. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine attended.
One official, referring to the crisis in the Middle East, said: “Decisions were made, or at least in-depth discussions took place.” The White House declined to comment on the report about the meeting and its deliberations. The meeting comes as negotiations with Tehran stall, while Trump considers resuming major combat operations in Iran.
The US president said on Thursday: “I now have to make a decision: either Iran signs the deal, or it will no longer exist.” The last similar meeting was held in June 2025, just days before Israel launched a war against Iran.
The report linked the timing of the previous meeting to that of the latest one, while the current discussions focused on US options regarding Tehran, in addition to the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen.
