President Trump is openly weighing whether to hammer Iran again — and says a decision could be close.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?” Trump told Axios Thursday. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”
Before pulling the trigger, Trump wants to hear from the Gulf.
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He is expected to meet Tuesday with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Trump said those conversations will help inform his next move.
That matters because Gulf leaders have already helped pump the brakes once.
Axios reports Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged Trump against a major escalation in August, warning Iran could retaliate against the region’s oil infrastructure.
Those fears are no longer theoretical.
Iran-aligned Houthi attacks have already hit Saudi targets and disrupted the kingdom’s crucial East-West oil pipeline — a route capable of carrying roughly 4 million barrels a day around the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters reported the shutdown threatened as much as 4% of global oil supply.
The diplomatic pressure is building, too.
Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a U.S.-backed United Nations Security Council measure to keep an expert panel monitoring sanctions on Iran, killing the resolution despite 11 countries voting for it.
So next week’s U.N. gathering is shaping up as more than diplomacy.
Trump is walking in with Gulf allies rattled, oil infrastructure under attack — and the question of whether the next American move is a deal or another barrage.
More over at Axios:
NEW: Trump tells Axios he’s approaching major crossroads in Iran war
“It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”https://t.co/ZkvpeewrIK
— Axios (@axios) September 17, 2026
