Trump Convenes Full Cabinet at Camp David to Decide on Iran Deal
President Donald Trump will meet his entire Cabinet at Camp David on Wednesday morning — only the second time in his second term he has used the Maryland mountain retreat, and the 10th full Cabinet meeting of his presidency. The agenda is dominated by the Iran negotiations. Trump is projecting confidence that he is closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday talks will take “several more days”. “He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” Rubio said.
The Camp David meeting is described as a full Cabinet meeting rather than a National Security Council meeting, which means it includes domestic and economic Cabinet members alongside the national security and foreign policy officials who would normally handle Iran deliberations. There is daylight between the US and Iran on several key issues. President Trump is also facing scrutiny from Republican allies including Senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, who have said the terms seem too favourable to Tehran. Trump on Monday said any agreement to end the Iran war should include a requirement for several additional countries — Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan — to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered agreements from Trump’s first term aimed at normalising relations with Israel.