US President Donald Trump used an address at the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2026, to warn that he could annihilate Iran if no peace deal is reached, while simultaneously confirming a high-level diplomatic meeting between US officials and Iranian mediators on the sidelines of the summit, according to reporting from Reuters.
Trump’s UN Speech and Iran Ultimatum
During a 37-minute speech at the UN headquarters in New York City, according to Reuters, Trump defended his administration’s military campaign against Iran. He asserted that US actions had successfully blocked Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Pushing for international economic isolation against Iran, Trump laid out a stark choice regarding the ongoing conflict.
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump said during his address, as reported by Reuters. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”
Reuters reported that Trump predicted his administration would forge a peace deal with Iran following the November 3 US midterm elections. Addressing political speculation that domestic elections might constrain his foreign policy, Trump dismissed the idea, stating according to Reuters: “What they don’t realize is that I’m not running. I did that already, and won in a landslide. We won in a giant landslide, and I’ll be here for 2-1/2 years.”
Diplomatic Meetings on the Sidelines
Despite the sharp rhetoric inside the General Assembly hall, diplomatic engagements proceeded behind the scenes. According to Reuters, Trump told reporters that US officials held a productive three-hour meeting with the Iranian delegation on Tuesday. Trump later clarified to reporters at the start of a meeting with Gulf leaders that special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with mediators rather than directly with Iranian officials, according to Reuters.
Alongside the Iran discussions, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and regional leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. The UAE foreign minister stated that the gathering with Gulf and Arab leaders focused on regional developments in the Middle East and methods to consolidate security and stability.
Criticism of International Bodies and Regional Policies
Trump used his platform at the United Nations to criticize multilateral institutions, accusing the UN of pushing a “far-left agenda of globalist bureaucrats who nobody ever elected.” Emphasizing national sovereignty and American military might, Trump stated that “there is no global government.”
According to Reuters, the speech also targeted other nations in the Western Hemisphere. Trump labeled Mexico “the epicenter of cartel violence” and urged its government to reclaim control of its territory. Furthermore, he announced that his administration was pursuing a fundamental change regarding Cuba, which he termed a “failed state” cultivating ties with left-wing domestic groups such as the Communist Party USA, Antifa, and the Democratic Socialists of America. In response to these remarks, members of the Cuban delegation walked out of the assembly chamber, according to Reuters.