Iran War Live Updates: Trump Meets With Cabinet Over Whether to Intensify Iran Strikes

Key Points:

• U.S. intelligence believes Mojtaba Khamenei and Iran’s hard-line government aim to develop advanced nuclear weapons, despite no public calls for nuclear armament by Mojtaba himself. The government has increased control over the Strait of Hormuz and remains a challenging negotiating partner.
• Iran has moved some centrifuges to a heavily fortified underground site called Pickaxe Mountain to protect nuclear assets from U.S. strikes, though it has not restarted enrichment activities there. The site is considered difficult to attack with conventional weapons, but Iran has deployed ground forces to deter potential commando raids.
• The Trump administration conducted major strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025, setting back Iran’s program by months, but Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains intact. Iran’s previous supreme leader issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons use, but the current leadership appears more interested in developing thermonuclear warheads.
• The ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict has escalated with increased military deployments, strikes, and naval blockades, with President Trump considering further large-scale attacks. Despite economic and military pressures, Iran’s leadership appears willing to endure prolonged conflict, and Iranian-backed groups like the Houthis have expanded their regional involvement.
• The Houthis, a Shiite militant group in Yemen allied with Iran, have increased attacks on shipping in the Red Sea amid the broader Iran conflict. While supported by Iran, the Houthis balance loyalty to Tehran with local strategic considerations and have avoided full-scale confrontations to protect their leadership and infrastructure.