Photo: KENT NISHIMURA / AFP / Getty Images
President Donald Trump has expressed uncertainty about whether to "annihilate" the Iranian regime, as reported in an interview with Axios published on Thursday (September 17). Trump stated, "I have a big decision coming up — do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?" He added that "anything could happen" with his decision.
Next week, Trump plans to meet with leaders from six Gulf countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting aims to discuss the next steps in the ongoing conflict with Iran and to hear directly from U.S. allies in the region. According to Newsquawk, these discussions are expected to focus on regional burden-sharing and energy infrastructure security.
As the conflict with Iran continues, President Trump has indicated that the war is nearing its end, stating that "hopefully we are towards the end of the war." However, no internal directive has been issued regarding when the fighting might stop, as noted in a previous Axios report.
The upcoming meeting with Gulf leaders, including those from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman, is crucial for discussing a postwar strategy. This meeting follows a similar gathering last year where Trump presented a draft Gaza peace plan to leaders from eight Arab and Muslim countries.
As the situation unfolds, the global community will be watching closely for any developments from these discussions, particularly any joint statements or frameworks that may emerge.