In UN speech, Trump asks if he should ‘annihilate’ Iran

During his address at the UN General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Donald Trump presented a stark choice regarding Iran: either pursue a deal that allows the country to rebuild or "annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly." He reiterated his belief that a deal with Iran would occur after the U.S. midterm elections and claimed credit for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Trump also referenced the October 7 attack in Israel, stating that "Iran’s supreme leader celebrated that massacre and called it ‘a service to humanity.’" Following his speech, Trump informed reporters that U.S. officials, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, engaged in three hours of mediated negotiations with the Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the assembly. The speech also touched on other topics, including aid for Gaza, criticism of Cuba, and calls for member states to resign from the International Criminal Court, which he labeled an "anti-American tribunal."