US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end soon, while questioning who Washington could negotiate with in Tehran.
Speaking at a rally in Mobile, Alabama, Trump said there was nobody in Iran with whom the United States could negotiate, asking: “Who do I speak to in Iran?”
Trump again said Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon” and criticised previous US presidents for failing to act.
He also described Iran as being left without a navy, air force, radar or air-defence systems, and said its economy was suffering from high inflation.
Cabinet Officials Meet At Camp David
Trump’s top cabinet members secretly met at Camp David on Friday to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, Axios reported, citing three US officials familiar with the meeting.
The meeting was chaired by Vice President JD Vance and included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
One official told Axios that issues were “decided or at least deeply discussed” during the meeting.
Russia Rejects Calls For Iran To Abandon Nuclear Programme
Russia’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, rejected US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz’s call for Iran to abandon its nuclear programme.
Ulyanov said Iran was not obliged to abandon its programme and described it as the country’s “inalienable right”.
He also said the position of the Republican administration was based on what he called incorrect assumptions about non-proliferation norms and the IAEA’s activities.
Fighting Intensifies In Yemen’s Taiz
Yemen’s armed forces said they carried out 71 attacks targeting Houthi gatherings, reinforcements and military buildups across several areas of Taiz province.
A Houthi military spokesperson said the operations destroyed several Houthi transport and support vehicles and caused casualties among the group’s fighters.
The fighting has also involved Saudi-backed forces, with sources on both sides telling AFP that 80 combatants were killed over the past day in clashes near a waterway crucial to global energy flows.
The United Kingdom condemned the latest Houthi attacks in Taiz and warned of threats to civilians.
Tanker Hit Off Oman
The master of a crude oil tanker reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile four nautical miles east of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
UKMTO said all crew were safe and there was no reported environmental impact, while advising vessels to transit with caution.
Missile Debris Injures Resident In Saudi Arabia
Debris from a ballistic missile intercepted over Saudi Arabia’s Asir region injured a resident in Ahad Rafidah, Saudi Civil Defence said.
The agency said falling debris also damaged vehicles and a prayer room inside a building.
