us President donald trump A wide-ranging Cabinet meeting was held at the White House on Wednesday, discussing issues ranging from ongoing talks 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 progressing “well” but warned that military action could resume if an agreement was not reached, insisting that Iran was “talking on smoke.” He ruled out any arrangement that would allow Iran or Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “We will keep an eye on it, but no one will control it.”The US president also addressed the escalating Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, defended conditions at a New Jersey immigration detention facility, endorsed a plan for a Kenya-based Ebola treatment center for Americans exposed abroad, and highlighted his administration’s anti-fraud crackdown. Trump spent several minutes discussing renovation projects at Washington landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

iran talks and threats of further attacks

Donald Trump said Iran is eager to reach a deal with Washington, but he also said the US is still not satisfied with the current terms. “They want to make a deal,” Trump said. “So far, they’re not there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be.”He also warned of fresh military action if talks fail. “Either that or we just have to finish the job,” Trump said.

‘No one is going to control it’: Trump’s warning to Strait of Hormuz and Oman

Trump ruled out any arrangement that would allow Iran or Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz, calling it international waters. “We will keep an eye on it, but no one will control it,” he said.He also issued a warning to Oman when asked about a possible joint management proposal involving Iran. “Oman will behave like everyone else or we’ll have to blow them up,” Trump said.

pressure of midterm elections

Trump said during a Cabinet meeting that Iranian leaders believe they can delay talks until the US midterm elections in order to gain an edge over them politically.“They thought they’d outwit me, you know,” Trump said, mimicking what he claimed the Iranian leader was saying about him politically. “‘We’ll get past him. He’s got midterms.'”The US President clarified, “I don’t care about the midterms.”Trump also talked about Ken Paxton, his endorsed candidate, in the Texas Republican Senate runoff, calling it a “prelude to the midterms.”

Republicans’ concerns over potential Iran deal

Trump said he would not support Russia or China taking over Iran’s highly enriched uranium reserves as part of any future deal with Tehran. “This will not make me comfortable,” Trump said. Under the proposed framework being discussed, Iran could give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief. The emerging agreement has also been criticized by several Republican lawmakers, who argue that some aspects resemble the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama.

Israel–Hezbollah conflict and Lebanon

Trump’s Cabinet meeting also came as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified in southern Lebanon.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced expanded military operations against Hezbollah, while Iran has reportedly insisted that any US-Iran ceasefire agreement must also include Lebanon.

Ebola response and travel screening

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration is stepping up efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Africa and prevent infected individuals from entering the United States.“The number one priority of our foreign policy is to protect the American people,” Rubio said during a Cabinet meeting. “We cannot and will not allow any more cases of Ebola in the United States.”Rubio said the State Department is coordinating with agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services to contain outbreaks in affected countries and monitor travelers entering the US.Authorities have also expanded enhanced Ebola screening measures for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Travelers who have visited those countries within the past 21 days are currently being routed through designated airports, including Washington Dulles International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.The administration is reportedly planning a treatment and quarantine facility in Kenya for Americans exposed to Ebola abroad.

immigration detention protest

Trump defended conditions at the New Jersey immigration detention center where protests and hunger strikes were reported. “We run the best facilities of their kind anywhere in the world — but we have some terrible killers,” Trump said.

Washington renovation projects

In a lighter moment, Trump spent several minutes discussing renovation plans for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the World War II Memorial in Washington.Trump described the work on the reflecting pool, saying, “We cleaned it. We fumigated it.” He said it would be repainted in “the blue of the American flag.”The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the U.S. capital and has hosted many historic events, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The nearby World War II Memorial honors the 16 million Americans who served during World War II and the more than 400,000 who died in the conflict.

Anti Fraud Task Force and Social Security

Vice President JD Vance highlighted anti-fraud efforts involving Medicare, Medicaid and student aid programs during the meeting. Trump praised the initiative, saying it was “bringing our country back to honesty.”