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President Trump said Thursday that he was at a crossroads over whether to renew attacks in Iran to wipe out the regime and bring the war to an end.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?” he told Axios. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”
Trump’s comments echo previous threats he’s levied against Tehran since the war began.
But this time, he said, his next move is likely to be influenced by his meetings with Gulf allies at next week’s United Nations General Assembly meeting.
“I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them,” Trump added.
Tensions are expected to be high at the gathering after the Iran-backed Houthis launched fierce attacks on Saudi Arabia this past week, threatening global oil and gas supplies.
The UN Security Council already saw a clash on Thursday after Russia and China vetoed a bid to extend an expert panel to monitor sanctions against Iran and the regime’s nuclear program.
Beijing and Moscow have been repeatedly accused of protecting Iran and even assisting its military operations during the war.
Jennifer Locetta, an American ambassador to the United Nations, slammed the vetoes as a clear “act of obstructionism” that highlights Russia and China’s support of “rogue regimes.”
Meanwhile, Iran allegedly scored another hit on US aircraft this week, with two unmanned MQ-1 Predator drones shot out of the sky in recent days, CBS News reported.
The older-model UAVs — estimated at about $4 million each — have been used to protect the Strait of Hormuz under the US naval blockade, according to the outlet.
The US has lost at least 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones since the war began, which is a loss of about $720 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office report released this week.
