US President Donald Trump has said he is approaching a "big decision" on whether to resume large-scale military action against Iran, warning that he could order fresh strikes on the Iranian regime.
In an interview with Axios on Thursday, Trump said: "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."
The remarks come ahead of a meeting Trump is due to hold on Tuesday with leaders of six Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
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That meeting could shape whether Washington pursues renewed diplomacy or intensifies its military campaign, since Trump would need the backing of regional allies to resume major combat operations.
Trump held off on restarting large-scale strikes in early August after Saudi Arabia and Qatar raised concerns that Iran could retaliate by bombing their oil and gas facilities.
Since then, the US has pursued a lower-intensity approach: pausing negotiations with Tehran, launching a fresh sanctions campaign, maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports, and working to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to restore oil flows.
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Tanker traffic through the strait has increased significantly but remains below pre-war levels, keeping oil prices elevated, according to reports. Trump said he was satisfied the blockade had halted Iranian oil exports entirely, adding that no ship had managed to leave Iran undetected since the operation began.
US officials reportedly say the military cannot sustain its current holding pattern in the region much longer, and that Trump is expected to decide soon whether to return to full-scale combat, particularly if no deal is reached before the November midterms.
The White House is separately drafting a post-war strategy aimed at containing Iran and expanding normalisation between Israel and its neighbours, with Israel's October 27 election also shaping the timeline.
Asked whether he would meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York next week, Trump gave a non-committal response, indicating it was a possibility.
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