Iran17 September, 20263 min read
Trump Approaches Big Decision on Whether to Annihilate Iran Ahead of Gulf Talks
Trump says a big decision looms on resuming large-scale attacks against Iran. Axios reports all options on the table, including annihilation of the regime.
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Trump weighs renewed Iran attacks
U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios that he is approaching a “big decision” on whether to resume major military attacks in the war with Iran, framing it as a choice between “annihilate” and not.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?”
Trump said, “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me,” in remarks reported ahead of a meeting with Gulf leaders next Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The reporting ties the decision to whether Washington seeks a diplomatic restart or intensifies military action, with the six Gulf countries listed as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
Agencia Noticias Argentinas also reported Trump’s remarks to Axios and said the meeting could define the next phase of the war, including whether to return to diplomacy or intensify military action.
The same reporting said Trump had earlier told Axios, “I hope we are near the end of the war (the Iranians) want to reach an agreement. We’ll see how it turns out. Iran is eager to reach an agreement,” before sending a contradictory message about the conflict.
Gulf talks and shifting posture
Axios reported that Trump is expected to meet Gulf leaders next Tuesday in New York to discuss the next steps in the war against Iran, with the meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The Global Times report said the meeting could shape the next phase of the war, including whether to make another push for diplomacy or intensify military action, and it said Trump would need support from regional allies if he wants to resume major combat operations.
Newser described Trump’s comments as a looming choice on whether to restart large-scale military operations to try to end what some U.S. officials describe as a “grinding stalemate,” and it said the timing is tied to the Tuesday sit-down in New York.
Newser also said Trump has paused major attacks since August after Gulf allies warned of strikes on Saudi energy facilities, while instead tightening sanctions and sustaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
In the same Newser account, Trump told Axios, “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them … or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me,” and the report said officials say the U.S. force posture can’t stay in limbo much longer.
Iran tensions expand beyond war
Beyond the decision on whether to restart attacks, the reporting also described a new incident in the Strait of Hormuz, where the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had targeted a tanker flying the Togolese flag and said it was hit after attempting to pass “illegally.”
SBS reported that AFP cited IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri saying the tanker Trend attempted to pass the strait “illegally,” before it was hit and halted after a fire broke out aboard, while also noting independent verification was not possible.
SBS added that U.S. officials told CBS News that Iran shot down at least two MQ-1 drones in recent days, though it said the exact location and which MQ-1 variant were used remained unclear.
In parallel, SBS said the U.S. Treasury announced new sanctions targeting a digital assets network linked to Iran, with the Office of Foreign Assets Control adding Iran’s digital asset platform BitBank and its developer company, along with three individuals, to the sanctions list.
The same broader picture of U.S.-Iran confrontation appeared in Ynetnews, which reported that the United States approved visas for senior Iranian officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to attend next week’s UN General Assembly in New York.