Vance chairs secret Camp David meeting on Iran war and Yemen

Vice President JD Vance chaired an unannounced Camp David meeting Friday with President Trump’s top national-security aides on the Iran war and Saudi Arabia’s fight with Yemen’s Houthis, three U.S. officials told Axios. CBS News confirmed the meeting Saturday, citing sources familiar with it.

Why now: Negotiations with Tehran have stalled. Trump said Thursday Iran will “either sign a very fair deal, or they won’t exist any longer,” The Hill reported. On Friday, while aides were at Camp David, Trump told reporters that if he described his next move “you would have a major story,” adding that “Iran is not doing well,” Axios said. At a Mobile, Alabama, rally Friday, Trump said the war will end “very soon,” “probably right after the midterms,” Fox News reported. He also said 18 U.S. service members have been killed in the conflict.

Yemen track: The same meeting covered Saudi plans against Iran-backed Houthis who threaten Red Sea shipping, Axios said. A separate Axios report Friday said Riyadh is preparing a major offensive near Bab el-Mandeb and wants U.S. airstrikes; Trump has been leaning against joining but could change his mind. The U.S. has been providing intelligence and targeting support and has sent additional Patriot batteries to help protect Saudi and Qatari energy sites, Axios reported. On Saturday, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of launching dozens of strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, CBS News and AFP reported.

Iran’s position: Tehran has pitched a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for steps such as ending the U.S. naval blockade and easing oil sanctions, with Qatar mediating, the Associated Press reported. Trump has publicly rejected Iran’s latest offer; mediators say talks continue and the sides still disagree on sequencing.

Uncertainty: Both the Axios and CBS accounts rest on unnamed sources. There is no on-record White House confirmation or readout. No independent AP or Reuters confirmation was found as of 10:16 a.m. PT Saturday. It is not known what, if anything, was decided. Whether the U.S. resumes major strikes on Iran, joins Saudi airstrikes, or keeps pressing for a deal remains unresolved.

The meeting was first reported by Axios, citing three anonymous U.S. officials; CBS News later independently confirmed the Friday meeting and its six attendees but not who chaired it or what was decided. Times of Israel and Middle East Eye entries cite Axios and are not independent confirmation. The White House had not commented. Context quotes come from The Hill, Fox News, Axios and AP. Updated Oct. 3.