Trump’s High-Stakes Situation Room Talks: Weighing Action on Iran’s Nuclear Threat

President Donald Trump has been a frequent visitor to the White House’s Situation Room lately, as tensions with Iran escalate over fears it’s inching closer to nuclear weapon capability. The high-stakes meetings, held in the 5,000-square-foot nerve center of the West Wing, come as the U.S. weighs military action following Iran’s deadly exchanges with Israel. Trump, in his trademark candid style, told reporters Wednesday, "I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do." He lamented Iran’s refusal to negotiate earlier, saying, "Why didn’t you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have had a country."

The Situation Room, established by President Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961, is no stranger to history-defining moments. From the Osama bin Laden raid to pandemic response, it’s where critical decisions are forged. Former Trump administration officials Kayleigh McEnany and John Bolton described the room’s gravitas. McEnany recalled its humbling atmosphere, with global time zone clocks ticking as decisions unfold. Bolton outlined two key meeting types: principals meetings, led by figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Council sessions chaired by the president himself, where options are debated and decisions crystallized.

Trump’s team, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, and Vice President JD Vance, has been locked in briefings since Trump cut short a G7 summit to focus on the crisis. Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear and missile sites, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, have heightened the stakes, with Benjamin Netanyahu warning that Iran’s nuclear ambitions threaten Israel’s survival. Iran, retaliating with strikes on an Israeli hospital, has warned the U.S. against joining the fray, threatening "all-out war."

Trump’s push for diplomacy is clear, but his patience is thin. Posting on Truth Social, he urged Iran to sign a deal, warning, "IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized Trump’s dual approach: a "peacemaker-in-chief" who’s not afraid to flex U.S. might. With a two-week window to decide on action, the world watches as the Situation Room deliberations could shape the Middle East’s future.