Trump’s top national security officials meet secretly at Camp David: next steps in the war with Iran and the conflict in Yemen on the table

President Donald Trump’s top national security officials gathered secretly on Friday at the presidential retreat of Camp David to discuss the next steps in the war with Iran and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, as Axios reported in an article that was subsequently also cited by the Reuters agency.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the meeting was chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance, while those present were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.

The meeting, which lasted several hours, was not publicly announced at all by the administration — a detail which, as Axios points out, makes it unusual. A U.S. official told reporters that “decisions were made, or at least deep discussions were held,” while the White House declined to comment.

At the centre of the discussions, according to the reporting, were also the Saudi leadership’s requests that the United States join a planned offensive in Yemen and carry out air strikes against the Houthi movement. U.S. officials say President Trump has so far been against direct participation, but may change his stance.

The reporting comes at a moment when talks with Tehran appear to have stalled and Trump is considering resuming major combat operations against Iran if no agreement is signed. On Thursday he declared: “Now I have to make a decision: either Iran signs the agreement, or it ceases to exist.”

As Axios also notes, a similar secret meeting at Camp David was also held in June 2025, just a few days before Israel launched the war against Iran — a parallel that has heightened concerns about a possible rapid escalation.