President Donald Trump said Thursday he faces a major decision over whether to resume large-scale military operations against Iran, saying he could either continue pursuing an end to the war through negotiations or “annihilate” the Iranian regime.

“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,” Trump told Axios. “Anything could happen with me.”

Trump’s comments come ahead of a planned meeting next Tuesday with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump said he wants to hear directly from the Gulf nations before deciding how to proceed.

The administration paused major combat operations in early August following concerns from Saudi Arabia and Qatar that Iran could retaliate against Saudi energy infrastructure. Since then, Washington has maintained economic pressure on Tehran and kept U.S. forces positioned in the region for a possible return to large-scale combat.

Trump said Wednesday that the United States is “hopefully” nearing the end of the war and that Iran wants to make a deal. He also said the U.S. has been in direct contact with Tehran, although he did not provide details.

The conflict remains active elsewhere in the region. Fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen has intensified, with missile and drone attacks threatening regional energy infrastructure and shipping routes.

Trump has ordered the U.S. military to maintain its current force levels in the Middle East through the end of the year, leaving American forces prepared for a possible escalation. At the same time, the White House is developing a broader postwar strategy focused on containing Iran and expanding normalization between Israel and its neighbors.

Trump also left open the possibility of meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York next week, saying, “I may,” when asked whether the two leaders would meet.