Merve Gül Aydoğan Ağlarcı
03 October 2026•Update: 03 October 2026
US President Donald Trump’s senior national security officials gathered on Friday at Camp David for closed-door discussions on the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, Axios reported.
Citing three American officials, Axios said Vice President JD Vance presided over the undisclosed meeting, which ran for hours. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, special envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA chief John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine also took part.
One official said issues were settled or discussed at length.
With talks stalled, Trump is weighing a return to large-scale combat operations against Iran. The Pentagon, according to the Wall Street Journal, is preparing to send a third aircraft carrier strike group and additional Marine ships to the Middle East, adding up to 10,000 troops.
The WSJ, citing US officials, said the forces are expected to arrive by the end of November.
Trump earlier said he could resume strikes on Iran after the midterm elections in early November if no deal is reached.
Meanwhile, Riyadh is urging Washington to join airstrikes on the Houthis, the rebel group fighting government forces in Yemen since 2014, ahead of a planned offensive. Trump has been reluctant, though officials said he could reverse course.