US President Donald Trump convened a critical session with his inner circle of national security advisors on Saturday to chart the next phase of the confrontation with the Islamic Republic, CNN reported on Sunday.
The high-level gathering at Trump’s Virginia golf club served as the immediate precursor to the President’s Sunday ultimatum, in which he warned Tehran that the "Clock is Ticking."
The strategy session brought together the administration's top hawks and intelligence chiefs, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to CNN. The meeting occurred just hours after the President’s return from a pivotal state visit to China, where the Iran conflict - and Beijing’s ties to the regime - remained a central point of contention.
Sources familiar with the Saturday deliberations indicated that the administration purposefully delayed definitive action during the Beijing summit to gauge Chinese President Xi Jinping’s willingness to facilitate a breakthrough. However, following the President's return, the focus has shifted toward more coercive measures.
The President is reportedly increasingly frustrated by the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint whose blockade by Tehran has sent global energy markets into a tailspin. While Trump has maintained a stated preference for a diplomatic resolution, insiders suggest he is now more seriously contemplating a resumption of major combat operations to break the current stalemate.
The Pentagon has already updated its "military target plans" to include precision strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure and internal systems should the President decide to escalate beyond the current ceasefire limits.
Following the Saturday summit, President Trump spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to coordinate regional objectives.
The President is expected to reconvene his national security team early this week to finalize a decision on whether to launch the prepared strikes or allow more time for Pakistani-mediated talks, according to CNN.
On Saturday, Trump posted a cryptic message about Iran to his Truth Social account.
The post featured an AI-generated graphic of him and a US Navy admiral in front of stormy waters with several ships, including one flying the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, amid reports the war could potentially resume soon.
The text above the graphic read, “It was calm before the storm."
Meanwhile, Fox News cited intelligence officials who believe Iran is preparing for the possibility that Trump could resume military strikes against the Islamic Republic amid growing frustration with Tehran’s conduct and its refusal to abandon nuclear ambitions.
According to the report, the prevailing assessment inside Iran is that Trump may decide to restart military action, leading Tehran to pursue what officials described as a strategy of “deception and delay" aimed at buying time and complicating any renewed military campaign.