In his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump defended the US attack on Iran, claiming that he had prevented Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He also threatened to “annihilate the Islamic Republic” if the two sides failed to reach a peace deal to end the conflict.
Trump urged other countries to support US efforts to economically isolate Iran and pressure Tehran to return to the negotiating table. He also predicted that his administration would reach a peace deal with Iran after the US midterm elections on November 3.
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump said. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”
He subsequently informed reporters at the UN that US officials and the Iranian delegation held a “very good” three-hour meeting on Tuesday. He later clarified his statement, noting that special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had met with mediating officials rather than direct representatives from Iran.
“Steve and Jared had a very productive meeting today with mediators of Iran, merely mediators,” he told reporters at the start of a meeting with Gulf leaders at the UN. “Let’s see what happens with that.”
Backstory…
Since assuming office for a second term last year, Donald Trump has generated significant international shockwaves by joining Israel in military strikes against Iran, authorizing a raid on Venezuela that led to the capture of its president, and raising the prospect of annexing Greenland.
In a 37-minute address delivered ahead of high-level diplomatic engagements with leaders from Britain, Ukraine, and Japan, Trump outlined his foreign policy vision, asserting that military action against Iran eliminated the threat of a nuclear-armed state and arguing that American hegemony in the Western Hemisphere is essential to preventing regional instability.
“Our actions in Venezuela are proof that the United States will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere,” Trump said. “While others have spoken of peace, I have made peace.”
Diplomatic whirlwind
Directing criticism toward neighboring nations, Trump characterized Mexico as “the epicenter of cartel crime,” urged its government to “reclaim control of its soil,” and announced that his administration is pursuing “a profound shift in the situation in Cuba.”
A significant portion of the audience exited the hall as Trump addressed his pressure campaign against Cuba.
The appearance was less contentious than his 2025 address, during which he delivered a combative speech warning that certain countries were “going to hell” and criticized UN facilities following a brief teleprompter glitch and an incident on a malfunctioning escalator.
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