Trump is considering another major attack on Iran

US President Donald Trump is considering whether to launch another major military strike against Iran, and he could soon make a "big decision" about the next phase of the war, US media outlet Axios reported.

"I have a big decision coming up," Trump said in an interview with Axios. "Do I go into Iran and completely destroy their regime, or don't I? It's a big decision. Anything can happen to me."

Trump plans to meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. He said he wants to hear directly from Gulf states about the conflict and what they would like to see as the next steps.

"I want to know where they are and how they're doing. We've been very protective of them," Trump said.

The Axios report said the discussions could influence whether the US will take a new diplomatic initiative or take a military escalation path. Washington will also need to coordinate with key regional allies if it is to resume major military operations.

However, Trump did not want to say whether he would make a decision before or after the US midterm elections.

Some US administration officials believe that the current situation cannot last long. Some of them believe that if there is no agreement with Iran, Trump may again choose the path of major military action after the midterm elections.

A previous report by Axios said that Trump backed away from plans to resume major strikes in early August after Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed concerns that Iran could retaliate and strike Saudi oil and gas facilities.

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Since then, the Trump administration has suspended talks with Tehran, imposed new economic sanctions and maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while the US military has focused on normalizing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and increasing oil shipments through the strategic waterway.

According to the report, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has increased significantly, but it is still lower than before the war. On the other hand, oil prices in the international market are also at a high level.

Meanwhile, Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have ordered the current US military presence in the Middle East to be maintained until the end of this year. US officials told Axios that this position is being maintained in preparation for a possible return to full-scale conflict.   

A US official said Washington's ultimate goal in the conflict will have to be determined at some point, as the current military posture cannot be maintained indefinitely.Trump also said he was pleased that the US naval blockade against Iran was working, adding that Tehran was still in direct contact with Washington and trying to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, the White House is also developing a new strategy for the post-war period. According to Axios, the plan will aim to contain Iran while also normalizing relations between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries.

The plan is still in its early stages. It could be used to set the direction of US Middle East policy after the conflict ends and for the remaining two years of Trump's term.

Asked whether he would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to New York next week, Trump said, "Maybe."