Inside Trump’s situation room: New photos offer rare glimpse of Iran strike moment

One photo shows Trump seated at the center of a large wooden table, staring ahead with a serious expression.

The White House on Saturday released a set of striking images showing President Donald Trump and his top advisers inside the Situation Room as they monitored the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

One photo shows Trump seated at the center of a large wooden table, staring ahead with a serious expression. In others, he’s seen standing while Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks. Trump, notably, is wearing his signature red “Make America Great Again” hat in each image.

Joining Trump in the JFK Conference Room, named after President John F. Kennedy, were several senior officials including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio (who also serves as national security adviser), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

The photos capture a mix of tension and urgency. In some frames, Trump is seen walking around the room, standing behind staffers. One image shows General Caine speaking as Trump looks on. Another shows officials deep in conversation, with scattered documents, highlighters, and half-empty water bottles on the table.

Rubio and Vance, seated closest to Trump, appear to have had his ear throughout the operation—highlighting their growing influence within his national security circle.

The release of these images has sparked fresh interest, drawing comparisons to the famous 2011 photo of President Barack Obama watching the raid on Osama bin Laden. These glimpses into the highly secure Situation Room rarely make it to the public.

In most of the photos, Trump is the sharpest figure in focus, while others in the frame are slightly blurred. This visual framing seems to underscore his central role in the decision-making process leading up to the strikes.

A thick binder sits in front of Caine, and Ratcliffe also has paperwork, although the contents are blurred for security. The small details, like White House-branded cups and cluttered notes, hint at the long hours and seriousness of the night.

Senior officials who don’t usually appear in high-level photo ops were also present. Dan Scavino, Trump’s longtime deputy chief of staff, can be seen in the background. So can White House counsel David Warrington.

The Situation Room where these images were taken is not the same one Trump used during his first term. The complex, located in the West Wing basement, underwent a $50 million renovation in 2023. The updated facility includes modern tech and expanded security features, making it one of the most advanced command centers in the world.

While the White House hasn’t released many details about the strike itself, the photos offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the moment Trump and his team decided to launch one of the most significant military operations of his second term.