WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to resume massive attacks to bring the conflict to a close, U.S. online news outlet Axios reported.
"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," Trump told Axios.
Though Trump has made similar threats before, his comments came ahead of a planned meeting next Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, said the report, adding that the meeting could shape the next phase of the war, including whether to make another push for diplomacy or intensify military action.
The six Gulf countries are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
If Trump wants to resume major combat operations, he would need the support of his regional allies, the report said. Trump has said several times in recent days that the war will end soon.
The report also quoted some U.S. officials who warned that the conflict has settled into an unsustainable, neither-war-nor-peace stalemate, and that they believe Trump could return to major combat operations after the midterms if a deal is not reached by then. ■