Trump team holds unannounced Camp David talks on Iran war, Yemen

Vice President JD Vance presided over an unannounced meeting of President Donald Trump's senior national security team at Camp David on Friday to discuss the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, Axios reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine joined the discussions at the presidential retreat in Maryland. One official familiar with the deliberations said issues were settled or discussed at length.

Military buildup

The gathering comes as the Pentagon prepares to send a third aircraft carrier strike group and additional Marine ships to the Middle East — a deployment that would add roughly 10,000 troops to the region, according to the Wall Street Journal. The forces are expected to arrive by the end of November.

Regional pressures

Trump has signaled he could resume large-scale strikes on Iran following the midterm elections in early November should diplomatic efforts remain stalled. Saudi Arabia has been urging Washington to join airstrikes against Houthi rebels ahead of a planned offensive in Yemen, though the president has maintained a reluctant posture that officials said could shift.

The US military presence in the region has expanded significantly since hostilities began, with two carrier groups already deployed and a third now scheduled to arrive within weeks. The Houthi rebels have been fighting government forces in Yemen since 2014.