White House national security adviser John Bolton John BoltonMaximum pressure is keeping US troops in Iraq and Syria Woodward book trails Bolton, Mary Trump in first-week sales Ex-NSC official alleges 'unprecedented' intervention by White House aides in Bolton book review MORE last week participated in a meeting at CIA headquarters to discuss Iran with the Trump administration's top intelligence, diplomatic and military officials, NBC News reported Thursday.

The meeting was rare in that national security meetings are usually held in the White House Situation Room, and senior White House officials and Cabinet members don’t typically attend meetings at the CIA.

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Five current U.S. officials told NBC that the meeting, held at 7 a.m. on April 29, included CIA Director Gina Haspel Gina Cheri HaspelCIA letting less intelligence on Russia reach Trump: report Russian bounties revive Trump-GOP foreign policy divide Overnight Defense: House panel votes to ban Confederate flag on all Pentagon property | DOD report says Russia working to speed US withdrawal from Afghanistan | 'Gang of Eight' to get briefing on bounties Thursday MORE, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan Patrick Michael ShanahanHouse Armed Services chairman expresses confidence in Esper amid aircraft carrier coronavirus crisis Boeing pleads for bailout under weight of coronavirus, 737 fallout Esper's chief of staff to depart at end of January MORE, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoTreasury sanctions individuals, groups tied to Russian malign influence activities Navalny released from hospital after suspected poisoning Overnight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers MORE and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.

The officials did not say what specific aspects of Iran were discussed, but said the topic was not about intelligence that later prompted the administration to deploy a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the region later that week.

The National Security Council declined to comment on the meeting.

Five former CIA operations officers and military officials told NBC News that in the past such meetings have been held at the CIA to brief top officials on highly sensitive information on covert actions, with two former officials saying the headquarters is the only place to review specific intelligence-gathering on Iran.

A meeting of senior administration officials would also be held if there were conflicting views on what the intelligence shows, former acting CIA Director John McLaughlin told NBC.

The news outlet reported earlier Thursday that the administration’s decision to increase its military presence near Iran was partly due to intelligence that Tehran gave approval to some of its proxy forces to attack U.S. military assets and personnel in the region.

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces,” Bolton said in a statement on the carrier and bomber deployment.

Tensions with Iran have risen in recent months. The White House has slapped additional sanctions on Tehran and for the first time designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that his country would no longer comply with aspects of a landmark 2015 nuclear pact from which President Trump withdrew the U.S. in 2017.

The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it would impose additional sanctions on Tehran "very soon" in response to Rouhani's remarks.

Asked about Iran on Thursday, Trump said that he is willing to talk and “make a deal.”

“We just don't want them to have nuclear weapons, it's not too much to ask. And we would help put them back into great shape. They're in bad shape right now. I look forward to the day when we can actually help Iran. We're not looking to hurt Iran. I want them to be strong, and great, and have a great economy,” Trump told reporters.

“But they should call, and if they do, we're open to talk to them,” he added.