United Nations, September 23: US President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that he was weighing two options on Iran sealing a deal with Tehran or intensifying pressure on the regime while cautioning that the latter path could push the country “into hell.”
Addressing world leaders, Trump posed a stark choice about Iran’s future. “Will a deal be made with Iran that let’s them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?” he asked, before laying out the alternative. “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?”
Despite the sharp warning, Trump said he expected a resolution with Tehran once the US midterm elections, scheduled for November 3, are behind him.
Trump Calls for Continued Economic Pressure on Tehran
Trump urged the international community to keep up economic pressure on Iran, declaring that the country was no longer the “bully of the Middle East.” He credited Washington with weakening Iran’s regional influence and pressed other nations to stay united in isolating Tehran.
“There is no better example of a danger that was allowed to gather strength at the world’s peril than the number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president said. “They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more.”
Even so, Trump reiterated his belief that Washington and Tehran would strike an agreement soon after the midterms. “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,” he said.
He added that any political fallout from the Iran conflict would not weigh on his decisions, noting that he himself is not on the ballot. “What they don’t realize is that I’m not running. I did that already and won in a landslide, and I’ll be here for two-and-a-half years,” Trump said. “The Republican Party is running, and I’ll be helping them. But I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn’t even enter my mind.”
Trump to the UN: "Do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly? Do I drive them into hell?" pic.twitter.com/cIYBO1Mp3w
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 22, 2026
Trump also expressed gratitude to the UN Security Council for its “overwhelming vote” condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping vessels, and called on member nations to impose total economic isolation on Tehran until it halts those attacks, abandons its nuclear program, and ends its backing of terrorism.
“I call on all nations to join us in enforcing the complete economic isolation of Iran until they stop their attacks on commercial shipping, relinquish their nuclear ambitions, and cease their support of terror,” he said.
Describing the Iranian regime as weak and cornered rather than powerful, Trump said its recent conduct reflected desperation. “The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate,” he said. “Now we must be equally united in maintaining pressure.”
US Navy Escorted Over 1 Billion Barrels of Oil Through Strait of Hormuz, Says Trump
Trump also claimed that the US Navy had safely escorted more than one billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that oil flows through the strategic waterway were now higher than at any point since the conflict began.
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“The United States Navy has recently escorted more than one billion barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz, and more oil is flowing than at any point since the start of the war,” he said. “We’re taking 22, 25, 30, 32, and 37 ships out, respectively, every single day, every single night.”
Trump Dismisses Reports of Depleted US Munitions Stockpiles
Turning to the state of American military readiness, Trump pushed back against media reports suggesting the US was running short on munitions, insisting the country’s stockpiles were more than sufficient.
“It’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using,” he said, adding that US weapons production had reached unprecedented levels, with new manufacturing plants being built to further ramp up output.
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