Trump Returns
Trump cuts short a Camp David trip as Iran sets terms to end the war and the US issues Mideast travel warnings.
President Trump cut short his weekend at Camp David Saturday, flying back to the White House early. Hours later, the State Department warned Americans in the Middle East that the security situation could "escalate rapidly."
Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said Tehran had handed Washington seven conditions for ending the war, including a halt to fighting on every front, the release of Iran's frozen funds and an end to the US naval blockade, ANI reported, citing Al Jazeera. The Strait of Hormuz will stay shut until those terms are met, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, according to Gulf News.
Trump landed in Washington just before 8 p.m. Saturday, a day earlier than scheduled, according to a White House pool report cited by Newsweek. The White House gave no reason. It came hours after an explosion near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport sent up flames and black smoke, the Independent reported. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Telegram that his forces struck the Saudi capital and facilities run by state oil giant Saudi Aramco with "a large number" of missiles and drones, Newsweek reported. At least 11 US embassies in the region issued travel warnings, and the US Mission to the UAE urged Americans outside the Middle East to "seriously reconsider" travel there, Gulf News reported.
Saturday morning, NORAD F-16s intercepted a small aircraft that strayed near Camp David. The jets dispensed flares before escorting the plane away, Newsweek reported, citing the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his forces could have "conquered" the Houthis within a week, if not for fear of harming Yemeni civilians, ANI reported. Seven months into the war, Iran is also facing fuel shortages, the Independent reported, citing lawmaker Jafar Ghaderi's estimate of a daily shortfall of 15 to 20 million litres of petrol. US service members killed in the conflict have reached at least 22, four more than the Pentagon's public tally, the Independent reported, citing The Washington Post.
Still no response from Trump. Tehran is waiting, Rezaei told ANI. The standoff is expected to hang over the UN General Assembly, which opens in New York this month.
"We are prepared for a decisive war," Rezaei said, according to ANI.