[Anchor]
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he is at a critical juncture in deciding whether to launch an attack to annihilate the Iranian regime. Amid escalating clashes between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, reports have also emerged that Saudi Arabia has proposed a ceasefire to the Houthi faction.
This report comes from correspondent Jeon Byeong-nam in Washington.
[Reporter]
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he is at a critical crossroads in deciding whether to resume large-scale attacks against Iran.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said, "A major decision is approaching on whether to attack and annihilate the Iranian regime," adding, "Anything can happen."
He continued by saying that Iran is in direct contact with the U.S. and still wants a deal, while announcing that he will meet with leaders from six Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, in New York on September 22.
At this meeting, Trump explained that he will directly hear the opinions of Middle Eastern allies regarding the next phase of the conflict with Iran.
However, Trump did not specify whether he would make the "critical decision" before or after the midterms in November.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has approved entry visas allowing Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other key delegation members to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
Armed clashes are intensifying between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Saudi Civil Defense Directorate announced that on the 17th local time, falling debris from a intercepted Houthi drone killed one Yemeni national and injured two others, including a Saudi citizen.
This marks the first combat fatality inside Saudi territory.
[Interview | Abdul-Malik al-Houthi / Houthi Rebel Leader : Targets for strikes inside Saudi territory include not only military and air bases, but also oil capital. Oil facilities serve as the funding source for the enemies to attack us.]
Saudi Arabia has reportedly proposed a two-week ceasefire to the Houthi faction.
A high-ranking source familiar with the matter told a pro-Hezbollah media outlet in Lebanon that "Saudi Arabia has proposed a two-week ceasefire to the Houthi rebels through the government of Oman to discuss solutions to humanitarian issues within Yemen."
(Video reporting: Eunha | Video editing: Cho Mu-hwan | Design: Shim Su-hyeon)
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