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// DOSSIER — trump-threatens-iran-annihilation-un-general-assembly
Trump Threatens Iran with 'Annihilation' at UN General Assembly
REL_TIME: 23 Sep 2026 21:12Z · LANG: EN
During his address at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Donald Trump defended the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and presented Tehran with a stark ultimatum: either negotiate a deal that addresses U.S. security demands or face rapid annihilation. Trump stated he is weighing whether to 'annihilate the Islamic Republic' or allow it to rebuild under a potential settlement, which he predicted would occur after the U.S. midterm elections. The remarks triggered a walkout by members of the Iranian delegation. Shortly after his speech, Trump revealed that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held indirect talks with Iranian officials on the sidelines through mediators, with Tehran laying down conditions such as the lifting of the naval blockade and release of frozen assets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Alongside the Iran conflict, Trump addressed global alliances, signed a trilateral security pact with Denmark and Greenland for two new U.S. military bases, lauded the seizure of Venezuelan oil, and called for the economic isolation of Cuba and a boycott of the International Criminal Court.
// Background
The U.S.-led military campaign against Iran, launched jointly with Israel on February 28, entered its seventh month amid mounting domestic economic pressure, high fuel prices, and global supply chain disruptions caused by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has severely strained U.S. relations with traditional European and regional allies, heightened global energy costs ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, and drawn intense scrutiny from international bodies regarding civilian casualties and alleged war crimes.
// Key Developments
- President Trump told the UN General Assembly he faces a choice between securing a deal with Iran or quickly annihilating the Islamic Republic.
- Most of the Iranian delegation walked out of the General Assembly hall during Trump's speech.
- Trump revealed that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held three hours of indirect talks with Iranian officials via mediators on the sidelines.
- Iran outlined its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, demanding an end to the naval blockade, release of frozen assets, and a halt to wars on all resistance fronts.
- Trump signed a trilateral security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, securing the right to build two new U.S. military bases on the Arctic island.
- Trump criticized the International Criminal Court as a 'rogue organisation' and called on member states to resign from it.
// Timeline
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The United States and Israel launch a joint military campaign against Iran.
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A short-lived ceasefire breaks down, and bilateral communications between Washington and Tehran largely stall.
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Trump signals in an interview that he is approaching a major decision on whether to resume large-scale military attacks on Iran.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in New York for the UN General Assembly and receives a State Department security detail.
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President Trump addresses the UN General Assembly, threatening Iran with annihilation while announcing fresh indirect negotiations; the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland sign an Arctic security agreement.
// Perspectives
[Donald Trump / U.S. Administration]
Maintains a posture of coercive diplomacy, combining severe military threats of annihilation with calls for total economic isolation, while simultaneously engaging in indirect talks to secure a nuclear and regional agreement.
[Iran (Delegation / Leadership)]
Rejects U.S. pressure and threats, maintaining hard-line negotiating preconditions including the lifting of the naval blockade, release of frozen assets, and an end to allied military actions before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
[Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) / Regional Allies]
Express deep concern over economic fallout, high energy prices, and infrastructural vulnerability, urging Trump to prioritize diplomatic off-ramps and avoid further military escalation.
[International Human Rights Advocates / Critics]
Condemn Trump's rhetoric as reckless and constituting genocidal threats against a sovereign nation, while highlighting reported civilian casualties and war crimes from the ongoing conflict.
// Quotes
“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? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”
“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realize is that I’m not running.”
“Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day.”
