Trump Officials Meet at Camp David on Iran as Trump Says War Ends After Midterms
Vice President Vance, Rubio, Hegseth, Witkoff, Ratcliffe and Gen. Caine met Friday as the Pentagon sends more forces. Trump told a rally the U.S. will prevail 'right after the election.'
Senior members of the Trump administration gathered at Camp David on Friday for extended talks on the war with Iran and the Saudi-Houthi fighting in Yemen, as the president told supporters the conflict will end "right after the election" in early November.
Those at the meeting included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, special envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. Fox News described the gathering as "unusual" and unannounced. The administration has not detailed what was decided.
Trump spoke at a midterm campaign rally in Mobile, Alabama. He said Iran is "ready to fold up" and that the United States would prevail "right after the election," possibly sooner. "We could leave tomorrow, and it would take them years to rebuild from what we did to them because they just wouldn't negotiate," he said. He put U.S. losses in the operation, which the Pentagon calls Operation Epic Fury, at 18 service members killed.
The remarks carried a political edge. The Hill reported that Trump acknowledged the war could cost Republicans control of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterms. Gasoline averages about $4.38 a gallon nationally, and diesel is near record highs, which has made the war's economic fallout a campaign issue in districts far from the Middle East.
The military footprint is growing even as the president talks about an ending. The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group, led by the Theodore Roosevelt, along with the Makin Island amphibious group carrying about 2,000 Marines. About 9,000 additional forces are being deployed, and the American naval presence in the region will exceed 20,000 sailors and Marines with hundreds of aircraft.
Administration officials say the pressure is working. A Treasury official said the sanctions and blockade campaign, called Operation Economic Outcast, is inflicting heavy damage. The Iranian rial has fallen past 2.5 million to the dollar, a record low. Trump cited Iranian inflation of around 310 percent, while other reports put it near 90 percent, and the figures could not be reconciled from the public record.
Outside voices are less confident. One regional outlet reported, citing a source, that Iran is preparing for a "major round of fighting" with the United States. Diplomacy remains deadlocked, and Trump has suggested military action could resume after the midterms if negotiations fail.
The Camp David session also covered Yemen, where the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have seized the Red Sea coast and launched a blockade on Saudi energy exports. More than 145,000 people had been displaced in that fighting by the count in CBS's coverage.
With four weeks until Election Day, the White House is trying to hold two positions at once: that victory is near, and that more ships and troops are needed to secure it. How voters judge that gap will be measured on Nov. 3.
