Trump tells Axios he's approaching major crossroads in Iran war
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President Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sept. 13. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Trump told Axios Thursday that he's approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to restart massive attacks in an effort to bring the conflict to a close.
- "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."
Why it matters: Though Trump has made similar threats before, his comments come ahead of a planned meeting Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
- The meeting could shape the next phase of the war, including whether to make another push for diplomacy or intensify military action. If Trump wants to resume major combat operations, he would need buy-in from his regional allies.
- The president has said several times in recent days that the war will end soon. Some U.S. officials warn that the conflict has settled into an unsustainable, neither-war-nor-peace stalemate, and they believe Trump could return to major combat operations after the midterms if a deal isn't reached by then.
What he's saying: Trump made clear in the interview that he wants to use the meeting at the UN to hear directly from regional allies about the war's next steps.
- "I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them," Trump said.
- Trump declined to say whether he'll decide on the path forward before or after the midterms.
Driving the news: In early August, Trump held off on resuming major combat operations after Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed concern that Iran would bomb Saudi oil and gas facilities in retaliation.
- Since then, Trump has taken a "low-key" approach: suspending negotiations with Iran, launching a new economic sanctions campaign, continuing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, and focusing the U.S. military on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and increasing oil flow to the global energy market.
- The U.S. military has significantly increased oil and gas tanker transit through the strait. But traffic is still below pre-war levels, and oil prices remain high.
State of play: Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have ordered the military to maintain its level of forces in the Middle East until the end of the year, U.S. officials say, to remain ready for a potential return to full-scale combat.
- The officials say Trump needs to decide soon on the way forward, partly because the U.S. military can't stay in its current holding pattern much longer. "At some point, you have to decide what is the endgame," one of the officials said.
- Trump told Axios he's very satisfied that the naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting its oil. "Not one ship has gone to Iran since we started. They tried and we blew them up," he said.
- The president added that Iran is in direct contact with the U.S. and said the Iranians still want to reach a deal.
The big picture: The White House has also been working on a post-war strategy that calls for a regional effort to contain Iran while expanding normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbors.
- While the plan is still in the early stages of drafting, it's intended to guide the U.S. approach in the Middle East after the Iran war ends and in the final two years of Trump's term. Two big events loom over the planning: the Oct. 27 election in Israel and the U.S. midterms in November.
What to watch: When asked if he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York next week, Trump said, "I may."
