Shortly after 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, a delegation of Saudi officials arrived at the West Wing of the White House carrying a message for the U.S. administration.
Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, during an unannounced visit to Washington, conveyed a message from his brother, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. According to people familiar with the discussions, Riyadh wants the conflict with Iran to de-escalate and believes that prolonging the war carries significant risks.
Just one day earlier, another envoy had arrived at the same location with a very different message. During his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed skepticism that diplomacy with Iran would produce meaningful results, according to Israeli officials. Instead, the two discussed ways to increase pressure on Tehran, including the possibility of resuming a full-scale military campaign.
The back-to-back meetings this week were coincidental, but they underscore the conflicting pressures Trump faces as he searches for a way out of a conflict that has lasted far longer than he had anticipated.
While pressure from Republicans to end the war continues to grow, the conflict appears to be expanding, with new fronts opening and nearly every country in the region now affected. Diplomatic efforts remain stalled, and a senior U.S. official said a return to direct negotiations with Iran does not appear imminent.
Despite Trump’s repeated claims that Iran is “begging” for a deal to end the violence, several U.S. officials fear that key figures within the Iranian leadership are more determined than ever to use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage and to launch missile attacks against American forces.
According to U.S. officials, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated by Tehran’s refusal to comply with his demands, leading to tense closed-door meetings and heated phone calls with allies. Last Friday, he convened his Cabinet at Camp David, reportedly hoping to draw inspiration from the historic role the presidential retreat has played in Middle East peace negotiations.
“I think we just want to win,” Trump said when asked how he planned to revive stalled diplomatic efforts, offering few details about his strategy.
“They’ll weaken. Maybe they’ll get a little stronger now. Then they’ll weaken again. And then they’ll disappear,” Trump added.
Ongoing threats from Iran have also forced Trump to alter his personal travel plans, most notably by changing Air Force One aircraft during his return from Türkiye earlier this month. According to officials, the decision was prompted by heightened security threats linked to Iran, while subsequent media reports on the change reportedly angered and embarrassed the president.
Many of Trump’s allies are now increasingly concerned that the war with Iran could come to dominate his presidency and damage Republican prospects in the upcoming midterm elections. A CNN poll released this week found that only 28% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the conflict.
Trump Faces Decisions Over the Strait of Hormuz
Options for escalating the conflict have been presented to Trump and discussed extensively as additional U.S. military assets have been deployed to the region, awaiting presidential authorization.
According to U.S. officials, one plan developed by U.S. Central Command would involve an intensive bombing campaign lasting one to two weeks, aimed at destroying Iran’s missile capabilities.
Asked on Friday whether he planned to “go further” with military escalation, Trump insisted he already had.
“We’re going strong. We’ve already gone strong,” he said.
During a congressional hearing last week, General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that Trump may not be able to achieve all of his previously stated objectives through airstrikes alone.
“Airpower has its limitations,” Caine told lawmakers.
Trump has so far exercised restraint in part because of Caine’s concerns over dwindling supplies of defensive missiles. Other officials have also warned of potentially high civilian casualties if the president follows through on threats to strike critical infrastructure, including bridges and water desalination facilities.
“Who am I hurting there? I’m hurting people, and that’s why I’m not looking to do that,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News this week.
