President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying the United States could choose to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if diplomatic efforts fail to produce a deal.
Trump made the statement during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
His speech focused heavily on Iran and the wider US foreign-policy agenda. The president defended the ongoing conflict while saying he believed an agreement with Tehran could still be reached.
A warning alongside a call for a deal
Trump told delegates that he faced a choice between reaching an agreement with Iran and launching further action against the country.
He said he believed Iran could become a stronger country if it reached an agreement with Washington.
At the same time, he warned that he could take the opposite course and destroy the Islamic Republic’s ability to continue threatening other countries.
Trump also repeated his expectation that Iran would agree to a deal after the November US midterm elections.
President defends war with Iran
Trump used his appearance at the UN to argue that US military action against Iran had achieved its stated objective of preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
He portrayed his administration as taking a tougher approach to international threats than previous US governments.
The president also called for greater economic pressure on Iran, according to Reuters’ account of the speech.
His remarks came as the conflict continued to affect regional security and energy markets.
Trump attacks the ICC
Another major part of the speech was Trump’s criticism of the International Criminal Court.
He urged ICC member states to leave the organisation and rejected the court’s authority over US personnel.
Trump has previously opposed international legal mechanisms that he says could interfere with US sovereignty. During Tuesday’s address, he again portrayed the ICC as hostile to American interests.
Diplomatic options remain open
Despite Trump’s threat of further military action, diplomatic channels have not completely closed.
Iran has signalled that it is prepared to discuss ending the conflict under certain conditions, including reduced US military pressure and the lifting of a blockade on Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, Rubio said the United States was open to meeting Iranian officials at the UN if such talks could produce meaningful progress.
The competing signals leave diplomacy and military pressure running alongside each other as the conflict enters another phase.
UN calls for de-escalation
Trump’s remarks came during a UN General Assembly session in which Secretary-General António Guterres called for greater international efforts to end wars and restore respect for international law.
Guterres urged world leaders to use the high-level gathering to pursue de-escalation and dialogue, warning that conflicts across the Middle East were continuing to affect civilians.
The contrast between the UN chief’s call for de-escalation and Trump’s warning to Iran highlighted the divisions surrounding the conflict.
