The Trump administration is hosting a meeting this week with senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia to discuss Iran, as US President Donald Trump considers military strikes, according to US sources familiar with the matter, Axios reports.
Reuters states that it could not immediately verify this information. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Uncertainty over the possibility of military action in Iran lingered after Trump said an “army” was heading toward the Middle Eastern country but that he hoped he would not have to use it.
“A massive armada is heading towards Iran. It is moving fast, with great power, enthusiasm and precise purpose. It is a larger fleet, led by the great aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, than the one sent to Venezuela. As in the case of Venezuela, it is ready, willing and able to carry out its mission quickly, with speed and violence if necessary,” the US president wrote on Wednesday in a message published on his social network Truth Social.
“We hope that Iran will 'come to the table quickly' and negotiate a fair and just deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is beneficial to all parties. Time is running out, it really is of the essence! As I told Iran once before: GET A DEAL! They didn't, and what followed was 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' a major destruction of Iran,” Trump continued, referring to the operation in which US bombers hit Iran's nuclear sites last year.
What are the Israelis and Saudis doing in the US
The Israelis traveled to Washington to share information about potential targets in Iran, while Saudi officials tried to help avert a wider regional war by insisting on a diplomatic solution, according to Axios.
Israeli military intelligence chief Gen. Shlomi Binder held meetings with senior Pentagon, CIA and White House officials on Tuesday and Wednesday, two US officials said.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Riyadh will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for military action against Tehran, state news agency SPA reported earlier this week.
Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, the younger brother of the powerful crown prince, is meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday and Friday.
US officials say Tehran does not appear interested in a deal based on maximalist US terms.
Trump, willing to follow the diplomatic path
White House officials say Trump has not yet made a final decision. Although on Wednesday he again threatened Iran with strikes that “will be much more severe” than last time, his advisers say he is still willing to explore the diplomatic route, Axios notes.
In response, Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened strong retaliation if the US decides to use military force.
“A 'limited attack' is an illusion. Any US military action, regardless of origin and scale, will be considered an act of war, and the response will be immediate, total and unprecedented, targeting central Tel Aviv and all those who support the aggressor,” wrote Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on X.
Iran has also threatened to target US bases in the region as well.
Concentration of American forces in the Gulf
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several guided-missile destroyers have already arrived in the Middle East, and the US military buildup in the Gulf will be completed in the coming days, according to US officials.
Trump told Axios on Monday that the “armada” he has amassed off Iran is “bigger than Venezuela.”
“The directive at this point is to prepare, but it looks like the president will reach another decision point on Iran in the coming days,” a US official said.
