United States President Trump is "seriously considering" launching fresh military strikes against Iran if last-minute diplomatic efforts fail to produce a breakthrough, according to US officials cited in a report by Axios.
The assessment came after Trump convened a high-level meeting with his senior national security team on Friday morning to review the Iran conflict and possible next steps.
The discussions reportedly included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other top officials, with a focus on both the state of negotiations and military contingency planning.
Sources familiar with the talks said the President was briefed on multiple scenarios, including options that would come into play if ongoing negotiations collapse. The White House later adjusted his weekend schedule following the meeting, signalling the sensitivity of the situation.
After a planned speech in New York on Friday evening, he will return to Washington instead of staying at his Bedminster Golf Club. Some members of the US military and intelligence community also cancelled their plans for the Memorial Day weekend in anticipation of possible strikes, sources told.
The diplomatic tracks are still active but fragile. Pakistan's military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is currently in Tehran in what officials describe as a last-ditch mediation effort to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran. A Qatari delegation has also arrived in the Iranian capital to support ongoing negotiations.
Munir is expected to meet Gen. Ahmad Vahidi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a key figure in Iran's security establishment.
Officials involved in the process describe the talks as stalled and slow-moving. Draft proposals are being exchanged, but progress remains limited and gaps on core issues persist.
A US official described the negotiations as 'agonising', saying documents were "going back and forth every day" without significant movement.
Iranian state-linked outlets, meanwhile, have acknowledged that the discussions continued but maintained that no agreement is within reach. The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency quoted a source saying talks over disputed issues remain underway but have produced no final outcome, with current efforts focused narrowly on ending the war.
Tehran is also reviewing a fresh US proposal, transmitted earlier this week and described by one source to Axios as a final offer, which reportedly warned that rejection could trigger renewed military action.
Inside the Trump administration, frustration appeared to have grown over the pace of diplomacy. Two people familiar with the President's thinking told his mood has shifted over recent days from cautious patience to growing impatience with Iran's negotiating stance.
Earlier in the week, Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he still wanted to give diplomacy another chance. By Thursday night, however, he was reportedly leaning toward ordering a strike.
One source close to the President said Trump has even discussed the idea of a final, 'decisive' military operation designed to end the conflict quickly and allow him to declare victory. Officials stressed, however, that no final decision has been taken.
Trump himself underscored the stakes in a Truth Social post, saying he would not attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, this weekend and remain in Washington, citing "circumstances pertaining to Government" and the need to stay at the White House during a critical period.
Despite the escalation in rhetoric, some officials still believe a breakthrough remains possible within the next 24 hours. Others said that Trump is increasingly inclined toward military action unless the negotiations produce something unexpected in the final stretch.
Meanwhile, Iran has moved to revive segments of its drone production system within weeks of the ceasefire that ended active 3-month-long hostilities with the United States and Israel. CNN, quoting multiple sources aware of US intelligence findings, reported that Iranian authorities are restoring parts of the country’s military-industrial network far sooner than US officials had expected.
Source: India Today