Key facts
- President Trump is considering whether to "annihilate" Iran.
- Trump expressed hope the seven-month war against Iran is nearing its end.
- Iran has directly contacted the US seeking a deal, according to Trump.
- Trump is expected to meet with Gulf leaders next week to discuss postwar strategy.
- US officials met with Ansar Allah (Houthi) representatives in Oman over the weekend.
- Ansar Allah assured the US they would adhere to a 2025 ceasefire and only target Saudi interests.
- Saudi Arabia is facing an economic crisis due to diminished oil exports and a closed pipeline.
- Saudi Arabia asked Trump to intervene militarily in Yemen and was rebuffed.
US President Donald Trump is contemplating a decision to "annihilate" Iran, while also expressing hope that the seven-month war is nearing its end. Iran has reportedly reached out to the US seeking a deal, according to Trump. Trump is expected to meet with Gulf leaders next week on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss postwar strategy in the region.
US officials met with representatives of Yemen's Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, over the weekend in Oman. Ansar Allah assured the US that they would adhere to an Oman-brokered 2025 ceasefire and would only target Saudi forces and shipping attempting to enter the Red Sea. This meeting reportedly influenced the Trump administration's decision not to heed Saudi pleas for US military involvement in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia is facing an economic crisis due to diminished oil exports and its east-west pipeline being closed after an attack by an Iran-allied Iraqi militia. The kingdom has reportedly asked France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt to deploy air-defense assets. The US military has also seen its supply of interceptors significantly reduced during its war on Iran.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a meeting with Trump next week, though none has been scheduled. The US State Department will extend visa sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials, and South Korea has not yet decided on military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.