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17 Sept 2026, 18:10

Trump tells Axios he is approaching a major crossroads in the Iran war

Machine translation:
President Trump told Axios on Thursday that he is nearing a critical point in the Iran war and must decide whether to resume extensive attacks to end the conflict.

▪️ "I have a big decision to make. Do I want to take action and destroy them [the Iranian regime] or not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen to me."

Why it matters:
Although Trump has previously made similar threats, his recent remarks come ahead of a scheduled meeting on Tuesday with leaders from six Gulf countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

▪️ This meeting could shape the next phase of the war, including whether to attempt diplomacy again or escalate military actions. If Trump decides to resume extensive combat operations, he will need the support of his regional allies.

▪️ The President has stated several times in recent days that the war will end soon. Some U.S. officials warn that the conflict has reached an unstable deadlock of "neither war nor peace" and believe that if no agreement is reached by then, Trump may revert to extensive combat operations after the midterm elections.

What he says:
In this interview, Trump clarified that he wants to use the UN meeting to hear directly from regional allies about the next steps in the war.

▪️ Trump said, "I want to understand what their situation is and how they are doing. We have protected many of them."

▪️ The participating countries are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman.

▪️ Trump refrained from saying whether he would make his decision about the path forward before or after the midterm elections.

Background of the news:
In early August, Trump refrained from resuming extensive combat operations after Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed concern that Iran might retaliate by bombing Saudi oil and gas facilities.

▪️ Since then, Trump has adopted a "low-profile" approach: suspending negotiations with Iran, launching a new campaign of economic sanctions, continuing the naval blockade of 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 the passage of oil tankers and gas-carrying ships through the strait. However, traffic remains below pre-war levels, and oil prices remain high.

Current situation:
According to U.S. officials, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have ordered the military to maintain its troop levels in the Middle East until the end of the year to be prepared for a potential return to full-scale combat.

▪️ These officials say Trump must soon decide on the path forward, partly because the U.S. military cannot remain in a waiting state for much longer. One of these officials said, "Eventually, you have to decide what the ultimate goal is."

▪️ Trump told Axios that he is very pleased that the naval blockade has hindered Iran's oil exports. He said, "Since we started, not a single ship has gone to Iran. They tried, and we blew them up."

▪️ The President added that Iran is in direct contact with the U.S. and said the Iranians still want to reach an agreement.

The big picture:
The White House is also working on a post-war strategy that calls for a regional effort to contain Iran while simultaneously expanding normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbors.

▪️ Although this plan is still in its early stages, its goal is to guide the U.S. approach in the Middle East after the end of the Iran war and during the last two years of Trump's presidency. Two major events are overshadowing this planning: the October 27 elections in Israel and the U.S. midterm elections in November.

What to watch for:
When asked if he would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week in New York, Trump said, "Maybe."
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