Trump gets conflicting messages as he seeks an exit ramp from the Iran war

AP News

Trump gets conflicting messages as he seeks an exit ramp from the Iran war

CNN-July31,2026

Just past 10 a.m. on Wednesday, a delegation of Saudi officials arrived at the West Wing carrying a message for the White House.

Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, on an unannounced visit to Washington, conveyed word to both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance from his brother, the kingdom’s powerful crown prince, that Saudi Arabia wants the Iran war to deescalate — and that prolonging the conflict carries major risks, according to people familiar with the conversations.

A day earlier, another emissary had arrived through the same door with a different message. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sitting with Trump in the Oval Office, voiced skepticism that diplomacy with Iran would prove fruitful, according to Israeli officials. Instead, the two discussed options for pressuring Iran, including renewing a full-scale war, those officials said.

The back-to-back meetings this week were scheduled coincidentally. But they nonetheless underscore the crosscurrents facing Trump as he seeks an exit ramp to a conflict that has extended well past his deadline.

As pressure mounts from fellow Republicans to wind the war down, it actually appears to be expanding, with new fronts opening up and virtually every country in the region now drawn in. Efforts at diplomacy are halting at best; a senior US official said resuming direct diplomacy with Iran does not appear imminent.

Despite Trump’s claims Iran is “begging” for a deal to end the violence, some US officials fear regime figures appear more committed than ever to wielding leverage over the Strait of Hormuz and firing missiles toward American troops.

Trump has grown frustrated at Tehran’s unwillingness to bend to his demands, leading to angry meetings behind the scenes and expletive-laced phone calls to his allies, according to US officials. He is scheduled to convene his Cabinet on Friday at Camp David, perhaps hoping to seize inspiration from the retreat’s past role in successful Middle East diplomacy.

The ongoing threats from Iran have forced Trump to alter his own plans, most notably a swap in Air Force One aircraft on his return trip from Turkey earlier this month. The change was made amid ramped up threats from neighboring Iran, according to officials, and subsequent coverage of the issue infuriated and embarrassed the president.

Many of Trump’s allies are now worried the Iran war is threatening to engulf his presidency entirely, and with it, Republicans’ chances in upcoming midterm elections, according to some GOP operatives. A CNN survey this week found only 28% of Americans approved of his handling of the war.