US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is approaching a major decision on whether to resume large-scale military attacks against Iran as he considers the next stage of the war.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me," Trump told Axios.
The comments come ahead of a planned meeting Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman are expected to take part in the meeting, which could influence whether the US pursues another diplomatic effort or intensifies military action.
Trump told Axios he wants to hear directly from the regional leaders before determining the next steps in the war.
“I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them," he said.
The President declined to say whether he would make a decision on the future course of the war before or after the US midterm elections.
In early August, Trump held off on resuming major combat operations after Saudi Arabia and Qatar raised concerns that Iran could retaliate by striking Saudi oil and gas facilities.
Since then, Trump has taken a lower-profile approach, suspending negotiations with Iran, launching a new sanctions campaign, continuing a naval blockade of Iranian ports and focusing US military efforts on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and increasing oil flows through the waterway.
The US military has significantly increased oil and gas tanker traffic through the strait, although transit remains below pre-war levels and oil prices remain high.
Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have ordered the US military to maintain its current level of forces in the Middle East through the end of the year, according to US officials, in order to remain prepared for a possible return to full-scale combat.
One US official said the current situation cannot continue indefinitely.
“At some point you have to decide what is the end game," the official said.
Trump also told Axios that he is satisfied with the results of the naval blockade against Iran.
“Not one ship has gone to Iran since we started. They tried, and we blew them up," he said.
The President added that Iran remains in direct contact with the US and that the Iranians still want to reach an agreement.
Meanwhile, the White House is working on a post-war strategy intended to guide the US approach in the Middle East after the conflict ends. The plan calls for a regional effort to contain Iran while expanding normalization between Israel and its neighbors.
The developing strategy is intended to cover the final two years of Trump's term, with Israel's October 27 election and the US midterm elections in November both looming over the planning.
Asked whether he would meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York next week, Trump replied, “I may."