Trump Holds Situation Room Meeting with Security Team on Iran/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump held a Situation Room meeting Tuesday with top security officials to assess the Israel-Iran conflict. While Trump says he’s not interested in a ceasefire, he’s weighing further U.S. involvement, including the possible use of bunker-buster bombs. Support and dissent continue to split MAGA allies over potential escalation.

Smoke rises from the building of Iran’s state-run television after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo)

Trump Iran War Briefing Quick Looks

Situation Room meeting : Trump convenes top advisers after early G7 exit.

: Trump convenes top advisers after early G7 exit. Ceasefire rejected : Trump says he seeks a “real end” to Iran’s nuclear threat.

: Trump says he seeks a “real end” to Iran’s nuclear threat. U.S. aid so far : Defensive only—no offensive strikes alongside Israel.

: Defensive only—no offensive strikes alongside Israel. Talks with Iran? : Trump says it depends on evolving developments.

: Trump says it depends on evolving developments. MAGA divide : Carlson, Greene warn against wider U.S. involvement.

: Carlson, Greene warn against wider U.S. involvement. Bunker bomb option: U.S. may consider aiding strike on Iran’s Fordo site.

FILE – In this Sept. 27, 2012 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows an illustration as he describes his concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions during his address to the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Deep Look

Trump Holds Emergency Briefing on Iran

President Donald Trump held a Situation Room meeting Tuesday with his national security team, according to sources briefed on the gathering. The high-level discussion focused on the escalating war between Israel and Iran and potential U.S. responses.

Trump returned to Washington early from the G7 summit in Canada to address the situation, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he wasn’t interested in a ceasefire, but rather a “real end” to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

No U.S. Offensive Action—Yet

While the U.S. has assisted Israel in intercepting missiles, it has declined to join in offensive operations. However, Israeli officials believe the U.S. may soon become directly involved—especially if Israel seeks help in targeting Iran’s fortified Fordo enrichment facility.

Trump has signaled that direct talks with Iran remain possible, but only depending on how the situation unfolds. “It depends what happens when I get back,” he said regarding possible diplomatic overtures.

MAGA World Fractures Over War Role

Trump’s tough stance on Iran has split his conservative base.

Tucker Carlson and Charlie Kirk have warned that deepening U.S. military involvement would betray Trump’s anti-war platform. Carlson wrote that Trump risked becoming “complicit in a war” that his supporters oppose.

Trump responded harshly online: “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!’” He emphasized that any support for Israel is necessary to prevent nuclear escalation in the region.

Praise and Push from Allies

In contrast, Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, texted Trump to express admiration. Trump shared Huckabee’s message on social media, quoting, “You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!”

Huckabee likened Trump’s leadership to Harry Truman’s in 1945, referencing Truman’s decision to deploy the atomic bomb during World War II.

Dismissing U.S. Intelligence Caution

Earlier this year, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Congress that U.S. intelligence agencies did not believe Iran was actively building a nuclear weapon.

Trump dismissed that assessment outright: “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close.”

His statement adds to concerns that Trump may favor preemptive action, even without formal evidence of a new Iranian nuclear breakout.

Bunker-Buster Bombs and Fordo

If the U.S. takes a more active role, one option on the table is supplying or deploying the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, known as the “bunker-buster” bomb.

The Fordo facility, buried deep in an Iranian mountain, is resistant to standard airstrikes. The bunker-buster can drill up to 200 feet underground, exploding through layers of fortified protection with multiple successive hits.

While such a strike could deal a severe blow to Iran’s nuclear program, it would also eliminate the possibility of diplomacy and escalate the conflict dramatically. Israeli leaders have also floated commando raids or nuclear options, but those carry their own global risks.

More on US News

President Trump cut short his trip to Canada for a meeting with world leaders and took off for Washington late Monday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was due to “what’s going on in the Middle East.”

Mr. Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Mr. Trump arrived in Canada on Sunday for the annual G7 summit, and met with the leaders of Canada and the United Kingdom earlier Monday. But Leavitt said on X Monday night that the president would leave early, seeming to refer to the Israel-Iran conflict.

“Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State,” Leavitt wrote.

Asked on Monday why he’s leaving the summit, Mr. Trump said, “I have to be back early for obvious reasons.”

As Air Force 1 taxied before departing Canada, Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that his early return to the capital wasn’t related to any Israel-Iran ceasefire talks. French President Emmanuel Macron had brought up the possibility of a ceasefire earlier, drawing criticism from Mr. Trump.

“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also heading back to Washington, a State Department spokesperson told CBS News.

The U.S. is not joining Israel’s military offensive, U.S. officials told CBS News Monday evening. Despite reports that Mr. Trump asked the National Security Council and Situation Room to be readied upon his return to the White House, Cabinet members in the National Security Council are already on standby 24 hours a day — including since Israel’s strikes on Iran began last week.

A spokesperson for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office told CBS News the country “was informed of President Trump’s departure through official channels prior to the White House’s public announcement.”

The Middle East situation has been the focus of much of the summit already. During Mr. Trump’s meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the president said he had “spoken to everybody” regarding Israel and Iran.

“I’ve spoken to everybody. Israel is doing very well, as you probably noticed,” the president said, adding, “I think a deal will be signed or something will happen, but I think a deal will be signed. I think Iran is foolish not to sign one.”

After the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Iran had sent messages to intermediaries indicating they want to de-escalate the conflict, Mr. Trump affirmed to reporters during his meeting with the Canadian prime minister that he was aware of the messages.

Asked by reporters what he’d heard from Iran, he replied, “They’d like to talk. But they should have done that before. I had 60 days and they had 60 days. And on the 61st day, I said, we don’t have a deal. They have to make a deal.” He went on to say, “It’s painful for both parties, but I’d say Iran is not winning this war. And they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it’s too late.”

The president’s sudden return to Washington comes as Israel and Iran trade airstrikes and missile attacks in the two foes’ most intense fighting in decades.

Israel has carried out multiple rounds of airstrikes since late last week, saying it is targeting Iran’s nuclear program, research scientists and top military officials. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.

On Monday, Israel struck Iranian state television in the capital of Tehran, and urged hundreds of thousands of residents of central Tehran to evacuate. Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

The president and other American officials have said publicly and privately that the U.S. is not involved in Israel’s strikes on Iran, though Israel did tell the U.S. about the operation in advance, and the U.S. has helped Israel intercept Iranian missiles. CBS News has previously reported that Mr. Trump rejected a plan raised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Israeli leader was asked Monday in an interview with ABC News if he planned to target Khamenei.

“Look, we’re doing what we need to do,” he told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl. Karl, noting that Mr. Trump had rejected the idea, told Netanyahu that the president feared that assassinating Iran’s supreme leader would escalate the conflict.

“It’s not going to escalate the conflict,” Netanyahu contended. “It’s going to end the conflict.” He blamed Iran for “bringing us to the brink of nuclear war,” and said that “in fact, what Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this, this aggression, and we can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil.”

The Trump administration has also warned Iran against striking U.S. military bases in the region.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has urged Iran to sign a deal to limit the scope of its nuclear program, convening multiple rounds of talks that are now on hold. Iran has long denied any plans to build a nuclear weapon, though international watchdogs say it has increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in recent years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long been skeptical of striking a deal with Iran.

, , , and contributed to this report.

On his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump has posted he has not reached out to Iran about ceasefire talks “in any way, shape, or form”.

The US President writes Iran should have signed a deal during the most recent talks over Iran’s nuclear programme.

“This is just more HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS! If they want to talk, they know how to reach me,” Mr Trump wrote.

“They should have taken the deal that was on the table – Would have saved a lot of lives!!!”

President Trump gave a new reason for his sudden departure from G7 meetings in Canada amid the escalating fight between Israel and Iran.

The president told reporters aboard Air Force One he plans to hold ‘early’ meetings with his security team in the White House Situation Room, after issuing a stunning call for people to ‘evacuate’ Tehran amid Israeli bomb attacks there.

But the president travels with a cordon of aides and high-tech equipment, giving him the ability to monitor or direct events from anywhere in the world – including the summit he left after participating for a single day.

Trump said he wanted to leave the tranquil mountain lodge in Alberta because he didn’t rely on phones.

‘Just be a little bit more, I think, well versed. Not having to use telephones so much,’ Trump said, when asked why he bailed. ‘Because I don’t believe in telephones. Because people like you listen to them. Being on the scene is much better. And we did everything I had to do at the G7.’

Trump has long been known to take steps to avoid writing things down. But he also does a lot of work on the phone, taking calls from a string of reporters when his feud with Elon Musk erupted weeks ago.

Earlier Monday, when asked while meeting with British PM Keir Starmer whether he might travel to the Middle East, Trump noted that he could use the phone instead.

Shortly before taking off, Trump blasted French President Emmanuel Macron, who had told French reporters Trump had told him he was pushing a cease fire plan.

President Donald Trump said he left the G7 in Canada in part not to have to use telephones so much. He holds tense meetings in the Situation Room today

‘I’m not looking at cease fire. We’re looking at better than cease fire,’ Trump said.

Trump said the reality was the opposite. But when pressed by the Daily Mail, Trump didn’t name any new steps the U.S. was taking to help Isreal as it battles the Islamic Republic.

‘An end. A real end. Not a cease fire. An end,’ he said.

Asked if he was open to a deal with Iran, Trump indicated he had lost his interest.

‘Their cities have been blown to pieces – lost a lot of people. They should have done the deal. I told them do the deal. So I don’t know, I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate now,’ Trump said.

Trump took another shot at Macron on the plane. ‘I didn’t say I was looking for a ceasefire. That was Emmanuel—nice guy but he doesn’t get it right too often,’ he said.

The president snapped at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins when she asked him if there was any ‘guarantee’ that the US could successfully take out Iran’s nuclear if it got involved in the fight.

‘Look at you. There’s no guarantee,’ Trump told the mic-wielding correspondent during a cramped gaggle with the media on the presidential aircraft. He also called her ‘fake news.’

Trump was coy when asked by the Daily Mail if Israel, which has obtained air superiority over the skies of Iran, would now accelerate its attacks on its rival.

‘You’re going to find out over the next two days, right? You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far,’ he said.

Trump spoke to reporters after he flew home early from the G7 summit

Trump indicated he approved of a communique but wasn’t sure what the final language was

In a late night post to Truth Social, Trump (pictured right with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney center) angrily denied Macron’s (pictured left) statement to the press, revealing his early exit from the G7 Summit was for ‘much bigger’ reasons than a ceasefire deal

Trump headed back to DC as Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate the middle of Iran’s capital as Israel’s air campaign on Tehran appeared to broaden on the fourth day of an intensifying conflict

Trump landed in DC around 5 am, after holding his first meeting in Canada at 9 am

Trump also explained his stunning decision to call on Iranians to evacuate Tehran, after his online post Monday sent thousands more fleeing while Israeli bombing operations continues.

‘I just want people to be safe,’ Trump said, without previewing any further actions.

‘I think they know not to touch our troops,’ Trump said when asked about any new threats to U.S. interests in the region.

Despite the tough talk, Trump didn’t rule out overtures, including Vice President JD Vance and negotiator Steve Witkoff talking to the Iranians.

‘They may. Depends on what happens when I get back,’ said Trump .

On another conflict, Trump said he hadn’t heard about the latest Russian attack on an apartment building in Kiev that killed at least 14. The news broke shortly before Air Force One took off, while Trump traveled there by helicopter late Monday after a day of meetings.

Trump’s decision had him flying home with Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio as well as other top aides. He had to scrap planned meetings with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

As he returned home from a summit Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies, Asked how visiting the bucolic setting impacted his push to make Canada the 51st U.S state, Trump revealed some acceptance of the status quo.

‘I think it’s a much better deal for Canada. But you know it’s up to them. They’re going to have to pay a lot of tariffs and things. They’re going to have to pay a lot of money for the dome. For the Iron Dome. They want to be a part of it,’ Trump said.

He was referring to his ‘Golden Dome,’ his take on Israel’s ‘Iron Dome,’ although some experts have already said it won’t work.

‘We may make a separate deal on that, by the way. We discussed that, yeah, on the dome. May be a separate deal. They want to be at $71 billion they’re going to pay. They’ll be in the dome. They’ll be under the dome.,’ Trump said.

Canada has given no indication it would participate to that extent financially. Its ambassador to U.S. called Trump’s demand that it pay $61 billion a ‘protection racket.’

In an extraordinary outburst, Trump tore into Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz (D), who has been eulogizing a former House speaker who got shot a state senator and her husband who got shot. Trump appeared to fault Waltz for once hirin the suspect as an administtration.

Asked if he would call Watlz, Trump responded: ‘I don’t really call him. Look, he appointed this guy to a position. I think the governor of Minnesota’s so whacked out. I’m not calling him. Why would I call him? I could call him – say: ‘Hi, how you doing?’ The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. So I could be nice and call him, but why waste time.’

Even as he returned home to ride herd on problems in the Middle East, Trump indicated he left it to staff to sweat some of the details at the G7, such as a formal communique.

He said he had authorized staff ‘to say certain things. I don’t know whether or not they said them correctly, but I think they probably did.”’

The U.S. and Iran reportedly may meet this week after Donald Trump abruptly left the G7 summit in Canada early to focus on the escalating crisis in the Middle East, though the President insists he has “not reached out to Iran for ‘Peace Talks’ in any way, shape, or form.” “This is just more HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS!” Trump posted on Truth Social early Tuesday morning. “If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table – Would have saved a lot of lives!!!”

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Trump also called French President Emmanual Macron’s comment to reporters that Trump left the summit to work on a ceasefire “wrong.” “He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Read More: Lawmakers Seek to Limit Trump From Dragging U.S. Into Israel-Iran War The President’s departure Monday evening came minutes after he urged “everyone” to “immediately evacuate Tehran,” which is home to around 9.5 million people. “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!” Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated since Israel’s first attack on Iran on Friday, while Trump has urged finding a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Trump’s post and announcement came after Israel earlier Monday struck Iran’s state-run television station during a live broadcast and after at least 8 people were killed in the latest round of Iranian missile strikes on Israeli cities.

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Smoke rises after a reported Israeli strike on a building used by Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, part of Iran’s state TV broadcaster, in Tehran on June 16, 2025. Stringer–Getty Images

The ongoing exchange of attacks has brought the regional death toll to at least 24 in Israel and 224 in Iran, with hundreds more injured in the former and over a thousand in the latter. U.S. and Iran may meet this week, report says U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi may meet this week to discuss a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and Iran, news outlet Axios reported on Monday night. The meeting is not yet confirmed but is part of Trump’s effort to deescalate tensions between Israel and Iran while facing pressure from Israel to join the war. A U.S. official told Axios that a key bargaining chip for the U.S. is its military’s ability, unlike Israel’s, to bomb Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facility at Fordow.

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Trump said at the G7 summit that his Administration is discussing the possibility of meeting with Iran and reiterated his position that a deal can be made. The aim of the meeting will likely also involve reaching a nuclear deal, which has been the subject of protracted talks between the U.S. and Iran over the last two months. A scheduled round of negotiations over the past weekend had been cancelled by Iran after the attack by Israel. “I think a deal will be signed,” Trump told reporters at the G7. “I think Iran is foolish not to sign one.” Trump leaves G7 early as U.S. deploys “defensive” forces to Middle East Trump cut short his visit to the G7 summit on Monday amid worsening hostilities in the Middle East. “Much was accomplished [at the G7], but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on X.

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Trump speaks to reporters during the G7 Summit in Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. Suzanne Plunkett—POOL/AFP/Getty Images

The decision came shortly after Trump urged “everyone” to evacuate Tehran immediately, while the U.S. deployed more than a dozen aircraft to Europe to place them closer to the Middle East in case of the need to defend U.S. interests. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a Monday statement on X that “additional capabilities” have also been deployed to the Middle East. “Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region,” he said. White House spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer rebutted the suggestion that the moves indicate that the U.S. has joined the war. “American forces are maintaining their defensive posture, and that has not changed. We will defend American interests,” he said on X.

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“We are vigilant. We are prepared. We have messaged consistently from the beginning that we’re in the region to defend our people and our assets,” Hegseth said on Fox News on Monday. Earlier on Monday, Trump urged Iran to pursue immediate talks with Israel to deescalate hostilities, warning that continued conflict could have dire consequences. “Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it’s too late,” Trump told reporters at the beginning of a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit. Trump’s meetings with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which were scheduled for Tuesday, were cancelled. “I have to be back, very important,” Trump told reporters. “You probably see what I see, and I have to be back as soon as I can.” Trump reportedly asked the national security council to convene at the White House Situation Room ahead of his return.

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Israel achieves “full aerial control” above Tehran; Iran warns of massive retaliation Israel’s military has “achieved full aerial control above Tehran” and destroyed roughly one-third of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile launchers, an Israeli government spokesperson said Monday. Air raid sirens were reported in Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv—where two of the latest casualties occurred. In response to the latest round of hostilities, Iranian state media claimed the country is preparing for what it called “the largest and most intense missile attack in history on Israeli soil.”

Smoke rises from locations targeted in Tehran amid the third day of conflict between Israel and Iran, June 15, 2025. Khoshiran—Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

The same outlets also reported that an Israeli airstrike hit Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah, western Iran, killing civilians. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the attack a “war crime” and a violation of international law.

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Behind the scenes however, Tehran is understood to be signaling its interest in ending hostilities and resuming nuclear negotiations, sending messages to Israel and the United States via Arab intermediaries. Oil prices fell more than $2 per barrel Monday amid the reports Iran is seeking to end the conflict. Read More: Air Supremacy Over Tehran Gives Israel a Decisive Edge—and Raises New Risks Iranian state TV office hit in Israeli strike

Israel attacked the offices of Iranian state TV Monday, interrupting a live IRIB broadcast and sending debris and dust through the studio. “The Iranian regime’s propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority was attacked by the IDF after a widespread evacuation of residents in the area,” Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in a statement.

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“We will defeat the Iranian dictator everywhere,” he said. Anchor Sahar Emami is seen talking live, saying: “This sound you heard, it is the sound of aggression against the homeland, the sound of aggression against truth and righteousness,” followed by a loud explosion and the screen behind her turning black. Emami then leaves the studio set, as debris and dust fills the studio. Hours before the attack, the IDF issued an evacuation notice for Tehran’s District 3, where the state television headquarters are located in the IRIB Organization building. In response to the strike, a senior official at the state broadcaster has said: “The regime [Israel] was unaware of the fact that the voice of the Islamic revolution and the great Iran will not be silenced with a military operation.” Trump “rejected Israeli plan to kill Iranian leader” Trump also reportedly rejected a recent proposal from Israel to assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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According to U.S. media citing unnamed officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented the option to Trump during a call over the weekend. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu declined to confirm or deny the proposal. “There are so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I’m not going to get into that,” Netanyahu said. “But I can tell you I think we do what we need to do. We will do what we need to do, and I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.” Trump reiterated Sunday that the United States was not involved in the Israeli strikes that began early Friday. In a post on Truth Social, he added: “We can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!”

Iranians who were injured in a reported Israeli strike on Keshavarz Boulevard in downtown Tehran on June 15, 2025. Amir Kholousi—AFP/Getty Images

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Read More: Israel Gets the War It Wanted Nuclear agency warns of radiological and chemical contamination inside Iran’s main nuclear site The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned Monday of potential radiological and chemical contamination at Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz following Israeli airstrikes. Radiation levels outside the site remain normal, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told an emergency session in Vienna. However, he stressed that the agency lacks critical technical information to assess the full extent of the damage. “Amid these challenging and complex circumstances, it is crucial that the IAEA receives timely and regular technical information about the facilities and their respective sites,” Grossi said. Without this access to information, the IAEA “cannot accurately assess the radiological conditions and potential impacts on the population and the environment and cannot provide the necessary assistance,” he said.

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Electrical facilities at the Natanz plant have been seriously damaged according to the IAEA, including the main power supply building and back up generators which have been destroyed.

The agency has also reported that strikes appear to have only impacted facilities above ground, but have not been able to verify any damage to underground areas of the plant.