Trump says he is weighing whether to ‘annihilate’ Iran

Trump says he is weighing whether to ‘annihilate’ Iran ‘It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me,’ Trump said - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments President Donald Trump said he is weighing whether to “annihilate” Iran as the war nears the seven-month mark with no clear end in sight. “I have a big decision coming up,” the Republican president told Axios on Thursday. “Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me.” Trump has repeatedly invoked apocalyptic rhetoric when discussing Iran, including in April when he wrote on Truth Social that a “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” The war — which Trump initially predicted would last four to five weeks — has largely fallen into a stalemate, though some strikes have taken place this month, with vessels in the Strait of Hormuz coming under fire. Traffic through the waterway, a vital trade route, remains at low levels as both sides seek to assert control. This week, Trump said that the U.S. was “hopefully toward the end” of the war, adding that he had spoken directly with Tehran. Over the weekend, he said: “I think it will be probably right after the midterms. They’re trying to hold out as long as they can to complicate the election.” Formal negotiations have not taken place since a memorandum of understanding — an informal peace agreement — collapsed in June. The president’s latest comments came days before the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York City. The diplomatic summit, scheduled for Tuesday, is expected to include a meeting on the sidelines among the leaders of six Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. That gathering could prove pivotal in determining the next phase of the conflict, which has engulfed large swaths of the Middle East. "I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them," Trump told Axios. The war, which Trump insists is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, has resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. service members and wounded hundreds more, the Pentagon has said. More than 3,000 Iranians have died, according to HRANA, a U.S.-based human rights group. The conflict has also cost the U.S. some $38 billion and driven up fuel prices. As of Thursday, the average cost for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. stood at $4.43, up from $2.98 two days before the war broke out, according to AAA. Multiple recent polls indicate the Middle East conflict is broadly unpopular in the U.S. According to a Reuters survey released late last month, just 31 percent of Americans support the U.S. military action against Iran, down from 37 percent in March. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments