WASHINGTON, September 17 (H.S.) - US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Gulf leaders next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the Iran war and possible post-war strategy, Axios reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the plans.

The meeting is expected to bring together leaders or foreign ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman - following initial invitations sent by the US State Department.

According to the sources cited by Axios, the discussions are expected to focus on US ideas for the region after the Iran war, with a broader strategy expected to take shape in the coming weeks.

The Trump administration has been working on a post-war Middle East strategy that could include a regional alignment among US allies to contain Iran, efforts to advance the next phase of Trump's Gaza plan, a security agreement between Israel and Syria, implementation of the Israel-Lebanon agreement, and expansion of the Abraham Accords, including a possible Saudi-Israeli normalisation agreement.

The strategy remains at an early stage, according to Axios. The planning is taking place at both senior political and working levels across the US administration.

The Gulf countries have been directly affected by the Iran conflict, including attacks and disruptions to oil and natural gas exports, according to the report.

Trump said on Wednesday that the United States was hopefully approaching the end of the war and claimed that Iran wanted to reach a deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also wants to meet Trump in New York, although no meeting has been scheduled, according to an Israeli source cited by Axios.

The White House declined to comment on the planned Gulf meeting, the report said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar