U.S. President Donald Trump held a wide-ranging Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, discussing 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 going “very well” but warned that military action could resume if a deal was not reached and insisted Iran was “in talks.” He also ruled out any arrangement that would allow Iran or Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “We will monitor it, but no one will control it.”The U.S. president also addressed the expanding Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, defended conditions at an immigration detention facility in New Jersey, backed plans to establish an Ebola treatment center in Kenya 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 the threat of further strikes
Donald Trump said Iran was eager to reach a deal with Washington, but added that the United States was still not satisfied with the current terms. “They really want to make a deal,” Trump said. “So far, they’ve fallen short of that goal. We’re not happy with that, but we will.”He also warned of new military action if talks broke down. “It’s either that or we have to get this done,” Trump said.
‘No one can control it’: Trump warns of Strait of Hormuz, Oman
Trump ruled out any arrangement that would allow Iran or Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, calling it international waters. “We will monitor it, but no one will control it,” he said.He also issued a warning about Oman after being asked about joint management proposals that could involve Iran. “Oman is going to act like every other country, or we’re going to have to blow them up,” Trump said.
midterm election pressure
Trump has denied that the upcoming congressional midterm elections are affecting his Iran strategy. “They thought they were going to wait for me. You know, ‘We’re going to wait for him. He has the midterms,'” Trump said. “I don’t care about midterms.”
Republican concerns over possible Iran deal
Trump said he would not support Russia or China taking custody of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of any future deal with Tehran. “It doesn’t make me feel comfortable,” Trump said. Under the proposed framework being discussed, Iran could give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The impending deal has also drawn criticism from several Republican lawmakers who say it is similar in some respects to the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by former President Barack Obama.
Israel-Hezbollah Conflict and Lebanon
Trump’s Cabinet meeting also comes as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies in southern Lebanon.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of military operations against Hezbollah, while Iran reportedly insisted that any US-Iran ceasefire must also cover Lebanon.
Ebola response and travel screening
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government is stepping up efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Africa and prevent infected people from entering the United States.“Our foreign policy priority is to protect the American people,” Rubio told a Cabinet meeting. “We cannot and will not allow any Ebola cases to enter the United States.”Rubio said the State Department is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies to contain outbreaks in affected countries and monitor travelers entering the United States.Officials have also expanded enhanced Ebola screening measures for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Currently, travelers who have visited these countries in the past 21 days will be transferred to designated airports, including Washington Dulles International Airport, Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.The government is reportedly planning to establish treatment and quarantine facilities in Kenya for Americans who have been exposed to Ebola abroad.
immigration detention protest
Trump has defended conditions at an immigration detention center in New Jersey, where protests and hunger strikes have been reported. “We have the best facilities in the world — facilities of their kind — but we have some terrible killers,” Trump said.
Washington Renovation Project
In a lighter moment, Trump spent several minutes discussing plans to renovate the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool and World War II memorial in Washington.“We cleaned it. We fumigated it,” Trump said, describing work on the reflecting pool, which he said would return its surface to “American flag blue.”Located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is one of the nation’s capital’s most recognizable landmarks and has hosted many historic events, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The nearby World War II Memorial commemorates the 16 million Americans who served during World War II and the more than 400,000 people who died in the conflict.
Anti-Fraud Working Group and Social Security
Vice President J.D. Vance highlighted anti-fraud efforts involving Medicare, Medicaid and student aid programs during the meeting. Trump praised the move, saying it “brings honesty back to our country.”
