US President Donald Trump on Wednesday held an expansive Cabinet meeting at the White House, addressing issues ranging from ongoing negotiations with Iran and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz to Ebola preparedness, immigration detention protests and domestic anti-fraud initiatives.Trump said talks with Tehran were progressing “nicely” but warned that military action could resume if a deal is not reached, insisting Iran was “negotiating on fumes”. He also ruled out any arrangement allowing Iran or Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it.”The US president also addressed the expanding Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, defended conditions at a New Jersey immigration detention facility, backed plans for a Kenya-based Ebola treatment centre for Americans exposed abroad, and highlighted his administration’s anti-fraud crackdown. Trump also spent several minutes discussing renovation projects at Washington landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Iran negotiations and threat of further strikes
Donald Trump said Iran was eager to reach an agreement with Washington but added that the US was still not satisfied with the current terms. “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 of renewed military action if negotiations collapse. “Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job,” Trump said.
‘Nobody’s going to control it’: Trump’s Strait of Hormuz and Oman warning
Trump ruled out any arrangement allowing Iran or Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, calling it international waters. “We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it,” he said.He also issued a warning aimed at Oman after being asked about a possible joint management proposal involving Iran. “Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up,” Trump said.
Midterm election pressure
Trump said during the Cabinet meeting that 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, you know,” Trump said, mimicking what he claimed Iranian leaders were saying about him politically. “‘We’ll outwait him. He’s got the midterms.’”“I don’t care about the midterms,” the US president clarified.Trump also talked about his endorsed candidate, Ken Paxton, in Texas’ Republican Senate runoff, calling it “a prelude to the midterms.”
Republican concerns over possible Iran deal
Trump said he would not support Russia or China taking custody of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile as part of any future agreement with Tehran. “That would not make me comfortable,” Trump said. Under the proposed framework being discussed, Iran could give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief. The emerging deal has also drawn criticism from several Republican lawmakers, who argue that some aspects resemble the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama
Israel-Hezbollah conflict and Lebanon
Trump’s Cabinet meeting also came as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified in southern Lebanon.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced expanded military operations against Hezbollah, while Iran has reportedly insisted that any US-Iran ceasefire agreement must also cover Lebanon.
Ebola response 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 US.“The number one priority of our foreign policy is to protect the American people,” Rubio said during the Cabinet meeting. “We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola into the United States.”Rubio said the State Department was coordinating with agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services to contain the outbreak in affected countries and monitor travellers entering the US.Officials have also expanded enhanced Ebola screening measures for passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Travellers who have visited those countries within the past 21 days are currently 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 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 reported. “We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world — of their type — but we have some horrible killers,” Trump said.
Washington renovation projects
In a lighter moment, Trump spent several minutes discussing renovation plans for 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.”The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, is among the most recognisable landmarks in the US capital and has hosted several historic events, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The nearby World War II Memorial honours the 16 million Americans who served during World War II and the more than 400,000 who died in the conflict.
Anti-fraud task force and Social Security
Vice President JD Vance highlighted anti-fraud efforts involving Medicare, Medicaid and student aid programmes during the meeting. Trump praised the initiative, saying it was “bringing our country back to honesty.”
