Trump Says He Is Considering "Annihilation Attack" on Iran and Will Hear Views of Middle Eastern Allies

[Financial News] As the war between the United States and Iran has entered a lull, U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned resuming large-scale attacks. He said he was considering whether to annihilate Iran and would hear the views of Middle Eastern allies.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with the U.S. political outlet Axios on the 17th (local time). He said, "A major decision is approaching. Whether to attack and annihilate them—the Iranian regime—or not? This is a major decision." He added, "As far as I am concerned, anything could happen."
Trump said Iran was in direct contact with the United States and still wanted to reach an agreement with the United States. U.S. Vice President JD Vance claimed in an interview on the 14th that the United States was not currently conducting offensive operations. United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for operations against Iran, has refrained from airstrikes on mainland Iran since bombing Iranian military facilities around the Strait of Hormuz on the 1st. Instead, CENTCOM has been attacking Iranian tankers and vessels near the strait.
According to Axios, Trump is scheduled to meet in New York on the 22nd with the leaders of six Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman.
Trump said, "I want to know where they stand and what the situation is. We have protected them very much." He indicated that he would hear directly from his Middle Eastern allies about the next phase of the war with Iran at the meeting.
Axios reported that Trump declined to say whether he would make a major decision related to the war with Iran before or after the U.S. midterm elections in November. In an announcement on the 9th, Trump emphasized that the war with Iran would end immediately after the midterm elections. The previous day, he had claimed it would end immediately after or before the midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that Trump and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had ordered the U.S. military to maintain through the end of this year the number of troops deployed in the Middle East in preparation for a potential resumption of large-scale combat operations. A source said it would be difficult to maintain the U.S. military's current state of readiness for an extended period, adding, "At some point, we will have to decide what the end goal is."


[email protected] Park Jong-won Reporter