President Donald Trump said Thursday he is approaching a pivotal choice on whether to relaunch large-scale military operations against Iran.
The 80-year-old president told Axios the war could be headed toward a decisive turn more than six months after he launched the joint U.S.-Israel military strike, but he claimed he hasn't decided yet on a course of action.
"I have a big decision coming up," Trump told correspondent Barak Ravid. "Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? It's a big decision – anything could happen with me."
The comments come just days before Trump is set to meet Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf nations — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
That meeting could prove pivotal in determining whether the administration pursues renewed diplomacy or intensifies military action, since any resumption of full-scale combat would require support from Washington's regional partners.
Trump indicated he intends to use the gathering to consult directly with allies before settling on next steps.
"I want to find out where they are and how they are doing," he said. "We have been very protective of them."
He declined to specify whether his decision would come before or after the midterm elections.
The president has repeatedly signaled in recent days that the conflict is nearing its end, even as some U.S. officials describe the current standoff as an unsustainable middle ground between war and peace — one they believe could tip back into major combat after the midterms if no resolution is reached.
Trump previously paused a return to large-scale strikes in early August after Saudi Arabia and Qatar raised concerns that Iran might retaliate against Saudi oil and gas infrastructure.
Since then, the administration has pursued a lower-profile strategy: pausing negotiations with Tehran, rolling out a new round of economic sanctions, maintaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports, and working to restore oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Transit through the strait has increased but remains below pre-war levels, and oil prices are still elevated.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have directed the military to hold current troop levels in the Middle East through the end of the year to preserve the option of resuming full combat, according to U.S. officials, who say a decision is needed soon because the military cannot sustain its present posture indefinitely.
Trump expressed satisfaction with the blockade's effect on Iranian oil exports.
"Not one ship has gone to Iran since we started," he said. "They tried and we blew them up." He added that Iran remains in direct communication with the U.S. and continues to seek an agreement.
The administration is also drafting a broader post-war strategy aimed at containing Iran regionally while expanding normalization between Israel and its neighbors, a plan still in early stages as it navigates two major upcoming events – Israel's Oct. 27 election and the U.S. midterms on Nov. 3.
Asked whether he might meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York next week, Trump said, "I may."