Trump uses cabinet meeting to warn Iran, boost Ebola screening and tout fraud crackdowns

US President Donald Trump used a wide-ranging Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday to press his case on several fronts, from nuclear talks with Iran to Ebola preparedness, immigration detention, and federal anti-fraud efforts.

The session also touched on tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and even renovation plans for Washington landmarks.

Trump said negotiations with Tehran were moving “nicely,” but added that the US was not satisfied with the current terms and signalled that military action could return if diplomacy breaks down.

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Delicate turn for the Tehran file

On Iran, Trump said the talks remained active but warned that Washington would not wait indefinitely. “They want very much to make a deal,” he said. “So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be.” He added, “Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”

Trump also said Iran was “negotiating on fumes,” and dismissed the idea of any arrangement that would put Iran or Oman in control of the Strait of Hormuz. “We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it,” he said. Asked about a possible joint-management proposal involving Iran and Oman, he warned, “Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up.”

The midterm clock begins to tick

Trump also argued that Iranian leaders believed they could stretch negotiations until after the US midterm elections, saying he was not concerned about the electoral calendar.

He said he would not be comfortable if Russia or China took custody of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile under any future deal, even as sanctions relief was being discussed in exchange for a transfer of the material.

The emerging framework has drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers, who see echoes of the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated under former president Barack Obama. The Cabinet meeting also came as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified in southern Lebanon.

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Rubio brings the public health brief

Secretary of State Marco Rubio used the meeting to highlight the administration’s Ebola response, saying the priority was to protect Americans and prevent cases from reaching the US.

He said the government was coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services, while expanding enhanced screening for travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.

According to the report, travellers who have visited those countries within the past 21 days are being routed through designated airports, including Washington Dulles, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta. Trump also defended conditions at a New Jersey immigration detention centre, praised anti-fraud efforts involving Medicare, Medicaid and student aid, and briefly discussed renovation plans for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the World War II Memorial.