Trump discusses the 'big decision' he faces on the war with Iran

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has a big decision to make regarding the future course of the war with Iran.

“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me,” Trump told Axios.

His comments come at a time that gas prices are spiking because of the war, and next week, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump is planning to meet with the leaders of six Persian Gulf nations: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

"I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them," Trump said.

The issue is proving challenging for Republicans running for office in November’s midterm elections, where affordability is a major issue. 

While Trump has recently said that the war will end soon, others have warned that it seems more like a stalemate, leading to the crucial decision he is faced with. Trump said again this week that Iran really wants to make a deal, but he didn’t explain why a deal with only one faction of the Iranian government would be any more likely to hold than the Memorandum of Understanding signed back in June.  

Some U.S. officials warn that Trump might return to major combat operations after the midterms if a deal isn't reached by then. "At some point you have to decide what is the end game," one of the officials said, according to the outlet. 

Trump also said he's very satisfied that the naval blockade has successfully prevented Iran from exporting its oil. "Not one ship has gone to Iran since we started. They tried and we blew them up," he said.

Trump wouldn’t say whether his decision on the path forward will come before or after the midterms.