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Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief top congressional leaders on rising tensions in Iran on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address.
Ratcliffe and Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, will brief the so-called Gang of Eight congressional leadership as well as top lawmakers on the Intelligence committees from the White House Tuesday at 3 p.m.
The closed-door session comes as the administration weighs next steps in the escalating standoff with the Islamic Republic. Talks with Iran, where the U.S. is pushing for full denuclearization and a limit on its ballistic missile program, are scheduled to resume on Thursday. White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led talks last week with Iran that did not result in a tangible deal.
The White House has made clear that diplomacy is Trump’s first priority, but the Middle East has seen the largest U.S. military buildup in decades. One carrier strike group under the USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region and another with the USS Gerald R. Ford is heading that way.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief top congressional leaders on Iran on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s annual speech to Congress. (Alex Brandon/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Iran is digging in. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X Tuesday, “Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.”
In a message directed at the American side, he added, “A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”
The U.S. has insisted Iran cannot have any nuclear enrichment capacity, even for energy purposes.
Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, and Ratcliffe, above, will brief the so-called “Gang of Eight” from the White House Tuesday at 3 p.m. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Araghchi said last week that the two sides had come to a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks.
Meanwhile, reports have swirled that Trump is considering a “limited” strike on Iran aimed at pressuring its leaders into acquiescing to a deal.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Mike Johnson will get briefed by the Cabinet members, along with the minority leaders and leaders on the Intelligence Committees. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters; Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
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Rubio’s classified briefing comes at a pivotal moment, just hours before Trump steps to the podium for his State of the Union address. The timing suggests the administration wants congressional leaders fully briefed on Iran’s nuclear posture, U.S. intelligence assessments and potential next steps before the president publicly lays out his strategy to the nation.
By meeting with the Gang of Eight ahead of the speech, the White House is also locking in oversight consultation before Trump speaks. That gives top lawmakers the same classified context the president is working from and makes it harder for critics to argue they were blindsided if Trump signals tougher action, new diplomatic parameters or a shift in posture toward Tehran during his address.
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