Visa For Iran Leaders, 'Annihilation' Threat: Trump's 'War And Peace' Message Ahead Of UNGA (File photo) US President Donald Trump is sending a strikingly mixed message on Iran ahead of the United Nations General Assembly - Washington is allowing Iran's top leaders to travel to New York, even as Trump weighs whether to "annihilate" the Iranian regime and resume large-scale attacks. The United States has cleared a scaled-down Iranian delegation, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to attend the UN General Assembly's high-level week next week, a US State Department spokesman said. At almost the same time, Trump told Axios he was facing a major decision over whether to launch another round of attacks on Iran. “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not?” Trump said. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.” The remarks come as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, while Washington seeks to reopen the waterway and restore tanker traffic. The State Department said Iran's core delegation would be allowed to attend the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week in person, citing US obligations as the host country. “Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level Week,” the State Department spokesman said. A source familiar with the matter told Al Jazeera that the delegation would include Pezeshkian, Araghchi and essential staff. The US official said the delegation would be smaller than usual and would face tighter travel restrictions and luxury import prohibitions “per our policy”. The decision comes after months of direct military confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with the conflict now entering its seventh month. Trump's latest comments to Axios come at a critical point in the conflict, with the Strait of Hormuz still heavily restricted and efforts to restore commercial shipping facing resistance from Iran. Trump has repeatedly warned about the possibility of further military action against Iran. Axios reported that Thursday's comments came as the US president considers whether Washington should resume massive attacks. The US military has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports and has attempted to increase tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told Axios that the blockade had stopped Iran from exporting oil and that ships attempting to do so had been attacked. The IRGC Navy also claimed it had struck a Togo-flagged tanker, saying the vessel was stopped after what it described as an “illegal passage” through the strait. The Iranian force accused the US military of having “incited and deceived” the vessel into attempting the crossing.