Donald Trump, dilemma regarding the conflict in Iran: “Do I want to get involved and annihilate them or not?”

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is nearing a decision on resuming large-scale military operations against Iran, amid a conflict that has reached an impasse and suspended negotiations. Trump told Axios that he must decide whether the United States will intensify the attacks in an attempt to end the war.

The decision could be influenced by a meeting scheduled for Tuesday in New York with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. The U.S. president wants to learn the position of regional allies, whose support would be necessary in the event of a new military campaign.

At the beginning of August, Trump postponed the resumption of the attacks after Saudi Arabia and Qatar warned that Iran could strike oil and gas facilities in the region. Meanwhile, Washington has maintained pressure through sanctions, a naval blockade of Iranian ports and operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. forces in the Middle East will be maintained at their current level until the end of the year, to be prepared in case of an escalation. In parallel, the White House is developing a plan for the postwar period, which includes limiting Iran's influence and expanding the normalization of relations between Israel and neighboring states.