President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly that he faces what he called a major decision over Iran: seeking a peace agreement or ordering further military action.
In his address in New York, Trump said he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if the conflict remained unresolved. He argued that the war had stopped Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and presented his approach as one of strength backed by ultimatums.
Trump said he believed an agreement with Iran, which has not yet been reached, would be concluded after the US midterm elections in November. His remarks came as US and Iranian representatives held talks on the margins of the General Assembly.
Mediated discussions
Trump later said US officials had held a “very productive” three-hour meeting with the Iranian delegation. Iranian state television confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
According to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, the negotiations were conducted through a Qatari mediator, who conveyed Tehran’s conditions. These included ending the war on all fronts and halting what Iran described as US “acts of aggression”.
Witkoff said the discussions were held through mediators moving between the two sides. He said they had completed a round of talks that the US hoped would be constructive and promising, adding that mediators would continue their work.
Trump’s speech also addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the president again predicting that US diplomacy would help end the conflict. He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York on Wednesday.
Trump criticised international institutions and rejected the idea of global government, while stressing US sovereignty and military power. Earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that geopolitical rivalry, conflict, climate change and artificial intelligence were widening divisions around the world.
Source: BBC News
