September 23, 2026 | 08:51 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that he could “annihilate” Iran if Tehran does not agree to a deal to end the conflict, while saying he expects negotiations to eventually produce a settlement.
As reported by CNA, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, Trump said his administration had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and argued that military action against Tehran had removed a major threat.
“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said. “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?”
Trump said he expected a deal with Iran after the Nov. 3 US midterm elections and urged other countries to join Washington in economically isolating Tehran to pressure it into negotiations.
Later, Trump told reporters that US and Iranian officials had held a “very good” three-hour meeting at the United Nations.
Trump Defends Iran War
Trump used his 37-minute address to defend his administration’s foreign policy and its military campaign against Iran, saying the conflict had prevented Tehran from becoming a nuclear-armed power.
Since returning to the White House for a second term, Trump has adopted a more aggressive foreign policy, including supporting Israeli military action against Iran, ordering a US operation in Venezuela that captured its leader and threatening to seize Greenland.
Trump also argued that US military dominance in the Western Hemisphere was necessary to prevent threats from taking root.
“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,” he said.
Outside UN headquarters, dozens of demonstrators gathered to protest the Iranian government, with some holding signs calling for democracy.
Trump Dismisses Midterm Election Concerns
Trump rejected suggestions that the November midterm elections could affect his approach to the Iran conflict.
His Republican Party faces the possibility of losing control of Congress, which some analysts have said could affect the administration’s ability to pursue its policies on the war.
Trump dismissed that possibility, saying he was not personally running in the election and would remain in office for another two and a half years.
“The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
Trump Criticizes UN and International Court
Trump also renewed his criticism of the United Nations and international institutions that he said could constrain US power.
He highlighted his administration’s efforts to reduce UN bureaucracy and again rejected the authority of the International Criminal Court over US military personnel.
“We will never allow US service members or anyone else to be investigated or given show trials by an anti-American tribunal with no jurisdiction over us,” Trump said.
His comments came less than a week after a UN fact-finding mission said it had reasonable grounds to believe US forces committed war crimes in two strikes on Iran, including one that hit a primary school in Minab.
Trump Outlines Wider Foreign Policy Agenda
Iran was not the only foreign-policy issue addressed by Trump.
He criticized Mexico over cartel violence and said his administration was seeking a “fundamental change” in its approach to Cuba. Members of the Cuban delegation walked out of the General Assembly hall as he spoke about the country.
Trump also discussed artificial intelligence ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on AI and international security, saying he did not want to restrict the development of a technology he predicted could become larger than the Industrial Revolution.
The UN speech opened a day of diplomatic meetings for Trump, who was scheduled to meet more than a dozen world leaders as conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continued to dominate the international agenda.
Trump met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to discuss trade, Ukraine and the Falkland Islands. He also met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who highlighted the US-Japan alliance amid what she described as a severe security environment in Asia.
Trump was also due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington later in the week and discussed efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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