WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed he will not attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., saying he must remain in Washington as negotiations continue over the war with Iran.
Trump said Friday that “circumstances pertaining to government” and his “love for the United States of America” made it impossible for him to travel to the Bahamas, where Donald Trump Jr. is set to celebrate his wedding to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson over the Memorial Day weekend.
“While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump family, his soon-to-be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to government… do not allow me to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he believed it was important to remain at the White House during what he described as a critical period.
The couple are already legally married after filing a marriage licence in Palm Beach County, Florida, but planned a small private celebration on a Bahamian island. Reports said the event would involve a limited number of guests and would go ahead without the president.
Trump had hinted a day earlier that he might miss the ceremony because of the Iran conflict, saying the timing was difficult. “This is not good timing for me,” he said. “I have a thing called Iran and other things.”
His decision comes as Washington and Tehran remain engaged in intense negotiations aimed at ending the war and stabilising the wider Gulf region. Reuters reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described “slight progress” in the talks, but said major differences remain, including over Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar has also sent a negotiating team to Tehran in coordination with the United States, joining Pakistan and other regional actors trying to secure a deal. The renewed diplomatic push follows Trump’s decision to pause planned military strikes on Iran to give mediators more time.
Despite signs of movement, Iran has said no agreement has been reached. Tehran is seeking sanctions relief and security guarantees, while Washington is pressing for limits on Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of key shipping lanes.
Trump’s absence from the wedding underscores the political pressure surrounding the talks. A trip abroad for a family celebration could have drawn criticism at a moment when the administration is managing a fragile diplomatic process, military readiness and global concern over energy supplies.
For Donald Trump Jr. and Anderson, the wedding will proceed privately. For the president, the weekend will be spent in Washington, where the outcome of the Iran talks could shape his administration’s foreign policy and the next phase of the Middle East crisis.
