Trump met top advisers on Iran as he weighs return to war

President Trump convened a meeting with his senior national security team on the war with Iran on Friday morning, two U.S. officials told Axios. Why it matters: Trump is seriously considering launching new strikes against Iran barring a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations, sources who have spoken directly with the president say. Split screen: Trump's Iran meeting took place as the head of the Pakistani military, Field Marshal Asim Munir, traveled to Tehran in an apparent 11th-hour effort to bridge the gaps and prevent a resumption of the war. A Qatari delegation also arrived in Tehran on Friday to support the mediation effort. Munir is expected to meet on Saturday with Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and a key player in the Iranian decision-making process. A U.S. official briefed on the diplomatic efforts described the negotiations as "agonizing." The U.S. official said drafts are "going back and forth every day" without much progress. Inside the room: Vice President Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other officials attended the meeting along with Trump, the sources said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine did not attend as they were in Europe and at the Naval Academy graduation ceremony, respectively. Trump was briefed during the meeting on the status of the negotiations and the different scenarios if talks collapse. The intrigue: Several hours after the meeting, the White House announced a change to Trump's schedule for the weekend. After a planned speech in New York on Friday evening, he will return to Washington rather than staying at his Bedminster Golf Club. Trump also wrote on his Truth Social account that he was not going to attend his son Don Jr.'s wedding this weekend due to "circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America." ...

Original source: Axios