President Donald Trump said Thursday he faces a major decision on whether to escalate military action against Iran. "I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me," Trump told Axios.
The statement follows months of U.S.-Iran conflict. Major combat operations began Feb. 28 with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military, government and infrastructure sites.
Diplomatic talks in June aimed at a war-ending deal collapsed. Both countries had signed a memorandum of understanding to guide negotiations, but continued strikes between the two sides derailed the effort.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the primary flashpoint. In August, Trump announced the U.S. would launch a "crushing economic operation" to compel Tehran's submission.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung declared Friday that Seoul will not participate in the conflict. "Let it be clear. There will be no dispatch of troops that will lead to involvement in a conflict. There will be no engagement or involvement in war," Lee said during a televised press conference.
South Korea is evaluating plans to contribute to future maritime security operations in the Strait of Hormuz, but Lee emphasized the country's consistent policy of non-engagement in the broader conflict.
Trump has pressured South Korea to provide active support for U.S. military operations against Iran. Last month, Trump ordered the curtailment of planned joint U.S.-South Korean military drills, citing Seoul's refusal to join the conflict.
A State Department official said the Trump administration withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council due to its "consistent failures to uphold its own values," citing the body's "anti-American rhetoric and antisemitism" and its record of appeasing "repressive regimes."
"As such, we do not give credibility to the findings of the report," the official said. The State Department deferred specific questions on U.S. operations to the Department of War, asserting that "the protection of civilians is of the utmost importance to the U.S."
The UN report, based on open-source reporting, concluded the attack on the Minab school "went beyond mere negligence." It stated the U.S. "directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen."
