US President Donald Trump on Wednesday held a wide-ranging Cabinet meeting at the White House, addressing issues including negotiations with Iran, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Ebola preparedness, immigration detention protests and anti-fraud initiatives.
Trump said talks with Tehran were progressing “nicely” but warned that military action could resume if an agreement was not reached. He also rejected any proposal that would allow Iran or Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as international waters.
The meeting also covered the escalating Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, plans for an Ebola treatment facility in Kenya for Americans exposed abroad, and renovation projects involving major Washington landmarks.
Iran Negotiations and Threat of Military Action
Trump said Iran was eager to strike a deal with Washington, though he maintained that the current terms remained unsatisfactory.
“They want very much to make a deal,” Trump said. “So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be.”
He also warned that military action remained an option if diplomacy failed.
“Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job,” he said.
Trump’s Warning on the Strait of Hormuz
Trump firmly rejected any arrangement involving Iranian or Omani control over the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it,” he said.
When asked about a possible joint management proposal involving Iran and Oman, Trump issued a sharp warning aimed at Oman as well.
Midterm Elections and Iran Strategy
During the Cabinet meeting, Trump claimed Iranian leaders believed they could delay negotiations until after the US midterm elections to gain leverage over him politically.
“They thought they were going to outwait me,” Trump said, adding that he was unconcerned about the electoral implications.
He also referenced Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom he has endorsed in the Republican Senate runoff, calling the race “a prelude to the midterms.”
Republican Concerns Over Potential Iran Deal
Trump said he would oppose any arrangement allowing Russia or China to take custody of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile under a future nuclear agreement.
“That would not make me comfortable,” he said.
The proposed framework under discussion reportedly includes sanctions relief in exchange for Iran surrendering its uranium stockpile. Several Republican lawmakers have criticised the emerging deal, arguing that parts of it resemble the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement.
Israel-Hezbollah Conflict
The Cabinet meeting took place amid escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced expanded military operations against Hezbollah, while Iran has reportedly insisted that any US-Iran ceasefire arrangement must also include Lebanon.
Ebola Preparedness and Travel Screening
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration was intensifying efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Africa and prevent infected individuals from entering the United States.
“The number one priority of our foreign policy is to protect the American people,” Rubio said. “We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola into the United States.”
US authorities have expanded Ebola screening procedures for travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Passengers who have visited those countries within the previous 21 days are being routed through designated airports, including Washington Dulles International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The administration is also reportedly planning a treatment and quarantine facility in Kenya for Americans exposed to Ebola abroad.
Immigration Detention Protests
Trump defended conditions at a New Jersey immigration detention centre where protests and hunger strikes were recently reported.
“We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world — of their type — but we have some horrible killers,” Trump said.
Washington Landmark Renovations
In a lighter moment during the meeting, Trump discussed renovation projects involving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the World War II Memorial in Washington.
“We cleaned it. We fumigated it,” Trump said while describing work on the reflecting pool, which he said would be resurfaced in “American flag blue.”
Vice President JD Vance also highlighted anti-fraud initiatives involving Medicare, Medicaid and student aid programmes, which Trump praised as part of efforts to restore honesty in government systems.
