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President Donald Trump told Axios that he is considering whether to “annihilate” Iran as the ongoing war nears its seven-month mark with no clear end in sight. This comes amid an escalating conflict where vessel strikes have occurred recently in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route. The U.S.-Iran war has cost $38 billion and resulted in 18 American service member deaths, while over 3,000 Iranian casualties have been reported by HRANA.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
President Donald Trump told Axios he is considering a decision to "annihilate" Iran, amid ongoing conflicts that have lasted nearly seven months without resolution. The conflict initially predicted by Trump to last only four to five weeks has since become stagnant, with recent skirmishes but minimal impact on the Strait of Hormuz traffic. Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City, Trump expressed hope for concluding the war after U.S. midterms, suggesting negotiations might occur around that time. However, formal discussions have not resumed since a memorandum of understanding collapsed in June. Trump emphasized his unpredictability with "Anything could happen with me," indicating potential drastic actions based on consultations with Tehran and Gulf allies at the UN assembly.
Written for “Trump Threatens Iran” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.65 for article 17077 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-18
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.
asserted
war → say → sight
“I have a big decision coming up,” the Republican president told Axios on Thursday.
asserted
president → have → Thursday
“Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?
asserted
I → want → them
Anything could happen with me.”
uncertain
Anything → happen → 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.”
asserted
civilization → invoke → Social
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.
asserted
vessels → predict → fire
Traffic through the waterway, a vital trade route, remains at low levels as both sides seek to assert control.
asserted
sides → remain → 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.
asserted
he → say → Tehran
Over the weekend, he said: “I think it will be probably right after the midterms.
asserted
it → say → midterms
They’re trying to hold out as long as they can to complicate the election.”
asserted
they → try → 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.
asserted
Assembly → take → 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.
asserted
summit → schedule → Arabia
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.
uncertain
they → prove → East
We have been very protective of them," Trump told Axios.
asserted
Trump → tell → 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.
asserted
Pentagon → insist → hundreds
More than 3,000 Iranians have died, according to HRANA, a U.S.-based human rights group.
uncertain
Iranians → die → HRANA
The conflict has also cost the U.S. some $38 billion and driven up fuel prices.
asserted
conflict → cost → 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.
uncertain
war → stand → 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.
uncertain
percent → indicate → March
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