TEHRAN, May 23 : US President Donald Trump held consultations with top national security officials to discuss the path forward on the war with Iran.
Reports from some sections of the US media suggest that the Trump administration is preparing for a potential new round of military strikes against Iran, even as diplomatic efforts continue. However, no final decision on strikes had been reached as of Friday afternoon.
Trump, who has expressed frustration over the pace of negotiations, has been presented with options for possible military action. He reportedly said earlier this week that he was an hour away from ordering strikes before holding back at the request of Gulf nations.
On Friday, he canceled plans to travel to his golf resort in New Jersey and confirmed he would not attend his son’s wedding in the Bahamas, choosing instead to remain in Washington due to what he described as “circumstances pertaining to government, and my love for the United States of America.”
In a social media post, Trump said that “circumstances pertaining to government” were preventing him from attending his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding this weekend. The president had initially planned to spend the Memorial Day weekend at his golf property in New Jersey but will now return to the White House.
“I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time,” he wrote on Truth Social, explaining his expected absence from the wedding. Earlier, Trump had said the timing of the nuptials was inconvenient, citing “everything called Iran and other things.”
Delegations from Qatar and Pakistan traveled to Tehran in an effort to help ease tensions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Friday, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met late into the night to discuss “preventing escalation” and ending the conflict, IRNA reported Saturday morning.
Baghaei said there were still “very deep” differences between the Iranian and US positions, adding that reaching an agreement would require “more time and further negotiations.” He noted that while ongoing diplomatic efforts and the presence of senior Pakistani officials in Tehran may signal a “turning point,” a final breakthrough with the United States remains distant.
Trump further stated that any decision on another round of military strikes is being considered amid a lack of positive signals from Iran.
However, key sticking points remain. Trump has repeatedly said that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon and should not retain enriched uranium. He has also maintained that while all options remain on the table, diplomacy has been given time to work.
Speaking to Iran’s IRIB News Network, Baghaei stressed that diplomacy is a long process and that both sides are using existing channels to communicate their core positions.
Some members of the US military and intelligence community reportedly canceled their Memorial Day weekend plans in anticipation of possible strikes, CBS reported, citing several sources. Defense and intelligence officials have also begun updating recall rosters for US installations overseas, as troops stationed in the Middle East are rotated out of the region. The move is part of an effort to adjust the American military footprint amid concerns over possible Iranian retaliation.
The US and Iran have largely refrained from direct strikes since a temporary ceasefire began on April 8, creating space for indirect talks on a longer-term agreement.
Trump is weighing his next steps on the conflict. A White House meeting routinely held with senior officials took place as negotiations continued, ending without a decision on the next course of action, CNN reported.
U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believe Iran is rebuilding its military-industrial base faster than expected and is already producing drones.
Senior officials present at Friday’s national security meeting included Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also referenced a White House meeting during remarks at the US Naval Academy commencement in Annapolis.
How Trump proceeds remains unclear. Earlier this week, he gave Iran a loose deadline of early next week to present an acceptable proposal to end the conflict. While some officials remain cautiously optimistic that talks are progressing, it is still unclear how the major sticking points between the two sides will ultimately be resolved. (UNI)
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