Trump to Channel 12: I have a big decision whether to start a broad war in Iran

US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Channel 12 that he faces a "big decision" on whether to return to a large-scale war in Iran. Trump declined to say whether he would make the decision before or after the midterm elections. He noted that he intends to meet with leaders of six Gulf states in New York to hear their positions.

US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Channel 12 that he faces a "big decision" on whether to return to a large-scale war in Iran. The remarks were made ahead of his meeting with leaders of six Gulf states, expected to take place in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Trump clarified that he wants to use the meeting to hear directly from America's allies in the region what they think the next step in the war should be. "I have a big decision to make. Do I want to go in and eliminate them [the Iranian regime] or not," Trump said. Trump declined to say whether he would make the decision before or after the midterm elections. In early August, Trump refrained from renewing large-scale military activity in Iran, after leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed concern about the consequences of an Iranian response against their oil and gas facilities. Since then, Trump has adopted a more "moderate" approach: he suspended negotiations with Iran, launched a new campaign of economic sanctions, continued the naval blockade on Iranian ports, and focused US military activity on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told Channel 12 that he is very satisfied with the naval blockade. "No ship has reached Iran since we started. They tried and we blew them up," he said. The president noted that Iran is in direct contact with the US and claimed that the Iranians still want to reach an agreement. The White House is working on a post-war strategy, focusing on a regional effort to contain Iran and expand the normalization process between Israel and its neighbors. When asked if he would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York next week, Trump replied: "I might meet him."