Trump Warns of Iran’s ‘Annihilation’ at UN, Suggests War’s End Is Near

United Nations — September 22, 2026

Addressing world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Donald Trump simultaneously threatened the annihilation of Iran and signaled that the Iranian regime may be tiring of a protracted conflict with no clear resolution.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump declared. “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, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”

As Trump delivered the ultimatum, the Iranian delegation rose and walked out, although a single, lower-level official reportedly remained seated.

While the UN podium has historically hosted aggressive rhetoric toward adversaries, Trump stands alone in the severity of his violent threats—echoing his 2017 address in which he issued a comparable warning to North Korea.

This marks the third occasion Trump has threatened Iran’s destruction. In January, he warned the U.S. would wipe the nation “off the face of this earth,” and in April, amid an intensifying Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, he posted that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”

Despite the bellicose rhetoric, Trump also suggested the U.S. and Iran could be moving toward a resolution of the war “one way or the other.”

Regarding a potential endgame, however, he accused Tehran of stalling—strategically waiting to gauge Republican performance in the upcoming midterm elections.

“What they don’t realize is, I am not running,” he said. Drawing applause from fellow leaders, he added: “I will be here for the next 2 1/2 years. I will give no credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It does not even enter my mind.”

Meanwhile, CNN reported earlier Tuesday that the White House is eager to restart stalled negotiations, with the president seeking a meeting with Iranian officials attending the General Assembly—“if the conditions are right.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected in New York for the UN summit, where he reportedly plans to “firmly defend” his government’s hard-line stance on the conflict. His attendance marks a historic moment: the leader of a nation at war with the United States appearing on the ground at the General Assembly.

In his speech, Trump also lauded the global projection of American power.

In an apparent effort to deflect concerns over rising gas prices fueled by the Iran conflict, Trump highlighted the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January—a move that yielded a deal granting the U.S. control of 65 million barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves.

“To the victors belong the spoils,” Trump told the assembled delegations.

Source link