The invitation comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric from the Kingdom
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Saudi Arabia Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman ahead of a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the State Department Building on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.
President Trump told Axios in an interview on Monday that the situation with Iran is “in flux” because he sent a “big armada” to the region but thinks Tehran genuinely wants to cut a deal.
Why it matters: Trump came close to ordering a strike on regime targets in Iran earlier this month over the killing of thousands of protesters. Instead he delayed the decision while also moving military assets to the region. White House officials say an attack is still on the table, though the protests have largely been suppressed.
Sources with knowledge of the situation say Trump hasn’t made a final decision. He will likely hold more consultations this week and be presented with additional military options.
Those options will be enhanced by the arrival of an aircraft carrier strike group to the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln entered CENTCOM’s area of responsibility on Monday.
What he’s saying: In the interview, Trump mentioned his decision to dispatch the Lincoln.
“We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,” Trump said.
He declined to discuss the options presented to him by his national security team, or which one he prefers.
At the same time, he said diplomacy remained an option. “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk.”
A senior U.S. official said in a briefing with reporters several hours after Trump spoke to Axios that the White House “is open for business” when it comes to negotiations with Iran.
“If they want to contact us and they know what the terms are, then we’re going to have the conversation”, the U.S. official said.
The official added that the U.S. conditions for a deal have been transmitted to Iran many times in the last year.
Between the lines: Some more hawkish members of Trump’s circle have urged him to enforce his own red line after he promised to help the protesters and punish the regime.
Others have questioned what bombing Tehran would actually achieve, and are more intrigued by the idea of using the regime’s weakness to push for a deal.
U.S. officials say any deal would have to include the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran, a cap on Iran’s stockpile of long-range missiles, a change in Iran’s policy of supporting proxies in the region and a ban on independent uranium enrichment in the country.
The Iranians have said they’re willing to talk but have not signaled any willingness to accept those terms.
Flashback: Trump claimed that prior to the 12-day war last June, Iran’s “big force of missiles” meant it could have launched a damaging surprise attack on Israel.
By giving Israel a green-light to attack first, Trump claimed he had prevented such a scenario.
“They would have attacked…but that first day [of the war] was brutal for them. They lost their leaders and many of their missiles,” Trump said.
“If there was a different president Iran would have the nukes, and they would have attacked first,” he added.
Reality check: Prior to the 12-day war, U.S. and Israeli intelligence assessed that if Iran decided to sprint for a nuclear weapon it would take two weeks to enrich enough weapons-grade uranium and four to six months to produce a crude nuclear device.
Iran’s nuclear facilities were badly damaged by U.S. and Israeli strikes, though the status of its uranium stockpile is not fully clear.
What to watch: The U.S. military is bracing for an order from Trump.
In addition to the Lincoln, the military has sent more F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, more refueling tankers, and additional air defense systems to the region.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited Israel on Saturday to coordinate military plans and potential joint defensive efforts to counter an Iranian attack against Israel, sources said.
Saudi Arabia Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last February in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Trump administration is hosting senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia for talks on Iran this week as President Trump considers military strikes, two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge told Axios.
Why it matters: Trump has ordered a U.S. military buildup in the Gulf to prepare for potential military action. Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region have been on high alert for days in anticipation of a U.S. strike.
Between the lines: The Israelis came to D.C. to share intelligence on possible targets inside Iran.
The Saudis, meanwhile, are highly concerned about a potential regional war and are trying to help broker a diplomatic solution.
White House officials say Trump still hasn’t made a final decision. While he threatened Iran again on Wednesday with strikes that “will be far worse” than last time, his aides claim he’s still willing to explore diplomacy.
Behind the scenes: Israeli military intelligence chief Gen. Shlomi Binder held meetings with senior officials at the Pentagon, the CIA and the White House on Tuesday and Wednesday, two U.S. officials said.
One source with knowledge said that Binder came to town to brief the Trump administration on specific intelligence it had requested about Iran.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman is expected to hold meetings focusing on Iran at the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House — including with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Prince Khalid, the crown prince’s younger brother and closest confidant, will be in Washington on Thursday and Friday.
The intrigue: The Saudis have been passing messages in recent days between the U.S. and Iran in an effort to de-escalate the situation.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia would not allow the U.S. to use its airspace in an attack.
State of play: At the moment, there are no serious negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
U.S. officials say Tehran doesn’t seem interested in a deal based on the maximalist U.S. terms.
The other side: Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened forceful retaliation if the U.S. attacks.
“A ‘limited strike’ is an illusion. Any military action by the U.S. — from any origin and at any level — will be considered an act of war and the response will be immediate, all out, and unprecedented, targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all those supporting the aggressor,” Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, wrote on X.
Iran has also threatened to target U.S. bases in the region.
What to watch: The U.S. military buildup in the Gulf will be completed in the coming days, U.S. officials say.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has arrived in the region. Trump told Axios on Monday that the “armada” he’d assembled off Iran was “bigger than Venezuela.”
“The directive at the moment is to prepare, but it looks like the President will reach another decision point on Iran in the coming days,” a U.S. official said.
