Agencies | Washington:
US President Donald Trump on Friday convened a high-level meeting with senior national security officials amid growing speculation that Washington may once again consider military action against Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to produce a diplomatic breakthrough.
According to an Axios report citing US officials, Trump is now “seriously considering” launching fresh strikes against Tehran unless talks yield a last-minute agreement. The development comes as diplomatic efforts between the two countries remain active but increasingly fragile.
The meeting reportedly included Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other senior officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine were not present, with Rubio travelling in Europe and Caine attending the Naval Academy graduation ceremony.
Sources familiar with the discussions told Axios that Trump was briefed on the status of negotiations, military contingency plans and possible scenarios in the event diplomacy collapses.
The White House later altered Trump’s weekend schedule, intensifying speculation over the seriousness of the situation. Trump announced he would return to Washington after a scheduled speech in New York instead of travelling to his Bedminster golf club.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also said he would skip Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding due to “circumstances pertaining to Government”.
“I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time,” Trump wrote.
Meanwhile, diplomatic activity in the region also intensified. Pakistan Army chief Gen. Asim Munir reportedly travelled to Tehran as part of efforts to help bridge differences and prevent further escalation. A Qatari delegation also arrived in the Iranian capital to support ongoing mediation efforts.
According to reports, Munir is expected to meet senior Iranian military officials, including Gen. Ahmad Vahidi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Officials familiar with the process described the talks as slow-moving and difficult, with major disagreements persisting on key issues. One US official reportedly termed the negotiations “agonising”, saying draft proposals were being exchanged almost daily without significant progress.
Reports further suggested that Tehran is reviewing a fresh US proposal transmitted earlier this week, described by one source as a “final offer” carrying the implicit warning of renewed military action if diplomacy fails.
Axios reported that while Trump had earlier indicated a willingness to give diplomacy more time, his stance has reportedly hardened in recent days due to frustration over Iran’s negotiating position.
Sources claimed the President has discussed the possibility of a “decisive” military operation aimed at quickly ending the conflict if talks collapse. However, neither the White House nor Trump has officially confirmed any decision regarding renewed military action.
Iran, meanwhile, acknowledged that discussions were continuing but signalled that a final agreement remained distant. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted a source close to the negotiating team as saying that “no final result” had yet been achieved and that Tehran’s immediate focus remained on ending the conflict.
At the same time, CNN reported, citing intelligence assessments, that Iran has already begun rebuilding parts of its drone-production infrastructure within weeks of the ceasefire that ended months of active hostilities involving the United States and Israel.
The developments have heightened concerns across the region and global markets over the possibility of another major escalation in West Asia if diplomacy fails to deliver a breakthrough.
