Trump heads to Camp David as US-Iran talks falter

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump will make a rare trip to Camp David this weekend, returning to the presidential retreat for only the second time since retaking office in 2025.

Trump will hold policy and political meetings during his visit, a White House official said. His family will travel with him for the weekend, which includes Father’s Day on June 21.

The trip comes as Trump works to secure a final agreement to end the war with Iran and faces scrutiny over a provisional peace deal that critics say grants Tehran too many concessions.

US-Iran talks in Switzerland planned for June 19 were cancelled as fighting flared in Lebanon, creating new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations vital to ensure the ‌reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping and restoring peace in the Middle East.

On June 19, Trump continued to defend the deal with Iran, saying Tehran had come to the negotiating table from a position of weakness.

“We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!”

Trump last visited Camp David in June 2025, meeting with top military leaders and foreign policy advisers to discuss immigration protests in California, Iran and the war in Gaza.

The secluded retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains has not been a regular destination for the Republican president. He has generally preferred spending weekends at his own properties, including Mar-a-Lago in Florida and his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

A Cabinet meeting planned for Camp David in May was moved to the White House because of forecasts for bad weather.

Other presidents have used the government-owned retreat about 113km from Washington far more frequently, both as a weekend escape and as a setting for diplomacy and policy meetings. REUTERS