President Donald Trump delivered a 37-minute address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday, in which he threatened to “annihilate the Islamic Republic” of Iran if a deal to end the ongoing war is not reached. Framing his decision as a binary choice, he said he would either allow Iran to “rebuild and create a far greater country” or “drive them into hell with no chance of survival.”
"Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly... drive them into hell with no chance of survival...?" Trump said.
Trump called on all nations to enforce the “complete economic isolation of Iran” and maintain sanctions to bring down global energy prices. Iranian delegation reportedly walked out of the General Assembly hall during his address.
Trump defended the war, which began in February 2026 alongside Israel, as a necessary action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, dismissing reports of U.S. munitions shortages despite Pentagon inspector general reports of “strategic inventory shortfalls.”
The U.S. president later expressed confidence that a deal would ultimately be struck shortly after the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, asserting that Iranian officials are “waiting to see how I do” in that vote.
Iran’s armed forces condemned the speech as an “exploitation of the U.N.’s podium to legitimize aggression.” President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the assembly on Wednesday.
Shortly after his speech, Trump announced that U.S. officials, including envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, held a “very good” three-hour meeting with Iranian representatives at the U.N.
Beyond Iran, Trump touted U.S. operations in Venezuela, issued warnings to Cuba and Mexico regarding national security, announced plans to build two new military bases in Greenland via agreements with Denmark, and criticized international bodies like the UN Human Rights Council and the ICC.
On the sidelines of the 2026 UN General Assembly, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that American and Iranian delegations held a three-hour meeting mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, marking the first high-level contact between the sides in months.
Witkoff described the talks as "constructive and promising," stating in an X post, that mediators "shuttled between the two sides" throughout the day. President Donald Trump characterized the outcome as "very good" and "very productive."
The U.S. delegation included Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, while the Iranian side was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was also present in New York.
Although Trump initially suggested direct talks, Witkoff clarified via X that the negotiations were indirect, with mediators facilitating communication between the two delegations.
Iranian state media confirmed that Foreign Minister Araghchi presented Tehran’s non-negotiable conditions to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. These terms include: an immediate lifting of the U.S. naval blockade, unfreezing seized Iranian financial assets abroad and an immediate halt to military operations across all regional fronts.
The meeting occurred against the backdrop of an ongoing conflict, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noting that discussions took place under the "constant threat of attack" as the U.S. conducted consecutive nights of strikes on Iranian military targets.
This indirect session marks the first high-level diplomatic exchange between Washington and Tehran since mid-June.
As part of the U.S. campaign to enforce maximum economic pressure and isolate Tehran, Washington has imposed secondary sanctions on foreign entities doing business with Iranian transport and aviation infrastructure, notably Mahan Air and Iran Air.
Beijing has consistently rejected unilateral U.S. sanctions against Iranian transport and aviation, maintaining that economic relations and trade with Iran comply with international law. China continues to reject Washington's efforts to enforce unilateral extra-territorial jurisdiction over non-U.S. entities, officials say.
