President Trump convened his top advisers on Wednesday for a meeting on the crisis with Iran, two U.S. officials tell Axios.
- Trump was briefed on the nuclear talks held earlier this week in Geneva and the group discussed next steps.
Why it matters: The Trump administration is closer to a major war in the Middle East than most Americans realize.
- A U.S. military operation in Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like full-fledged war than last month's pinpoint operation in Venezuela, sources say.
- Trump's military and rhetorical build-ups make it hard for him to back down without major concessions from Iran on its nuclear program.
What they're saying: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday "there are many arguments one can make in favor of a strike against Iran."
- She said Trump prefers diplomacy and stressed "Iran would be wise to make a deal."
Behind the scenes: Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials attended Wednesday's meeting.
- One U.S. official said the Iranians need to come back to the Trump administration by the end of the month with a package of steps that addresses the concerns the U.S. presented in Geneva regarding their nuclear program.
- "The Iranian foreign minister told Kushner and Witkoff a lot of positive things but the devil is in the details. The ball in Iran's court, so lets see," the official said.
- A second U.S. official expressed deep skepticism and said the talks in Geneva were "a nothing-burger."
What to watch: U.S. officials say the arrival of the USS Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days will be a key factor in the timing of a possible military campaign against Iran.
- Rubio is also planning to visit Israel at the end of the month for talks about Iran, a U.S. official said.
Zoom out: In addition to Iran, Trump was briefed on the Ukraine-Russia negotiations and the Gaza Board of Peace meeting that is set to take place on Thursday, U.S. officials said.
Go deeper: 6 reasons the U.S. and Iran are on the brink of war
