Donald Trump Threatens To ‘Annihilate’ Iran at UNGA, Predicts Deal After Midterm Elections 2026

US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, September 22, to threaten further military action against Iran while predicting that Washington and Tehran would reach a deal after the November 3 midterm elections. In a 37-minute speech, Trump defended the seven-month US war with Iran, asserting that military operations had successfully prevented Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and dismantled its standing as the dominant power in the Middle East.

Framing the conflict around a stark choice between total devastation or eventual diplomatic rebuilding, Trump directly challenged the Iranian leadership from the rostrum. Iran Offers To Reopen Strait of Hormuz Within 7 Days if US Eases Military Pressure and Lifts Port Blockade.

'Could Annihilate Iran': Trump Threatens

Donald Trump Threatens To ‘Annihilate’ Iran at UNGA

Donald Trump said: “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 — maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness?”

Despite the warning of escalation, Trump maintained that a negotiated settlement remains the most probable outcome once US legislative elections conclude. “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. US Issues 'Do Not Travel' Advisory for Iran Amid Escalating West Asian Tensions.

‘Iran Is the Bully No More’

Trump urged the international community to keep strict economic sanctions and political pressure intact, accusing Tehran of acting as the world’s leading state sponsor of terror.

“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,” he told delegates. “They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more.”

Addressing speculation regarding domestic political stakes surrounding the military engagement, Trump argued that the war would not affect his own political career: “What they don’t realise 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,” he said. The upcoming midterms will decide control of both chambers of the US Congress, shaping the remaining legislative window of his administration.

Call for Continued Pressure and Maritime Security

Trump thanked the UN Security Council for what he termed an overwhelming resolution condemning Iranian attacks on commercial shipping lanes. “Now we must be equally united in maintaining pressure,” he said.

Highlighting US naval operations in the Persian Gulf, Trump claimed American forces had safely escorted more than 1 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz since hostilities commenced. He added that commercial crude flows through the strategic choke point are currently running higher than at any point since the outbreak of the war. The narrow strait remains one of the world's most critical energy transit routes, linking Gulf oil producers with global export markets.

Addressing reports that seven months of aerial and naval operations have depleted American military reserves, Trump firmly dismissed claims of a munitions shortfall.

“It’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using,” he insisted, stating that domestic defense manufacturing is running at record output with new arms plants actively being built. The statement sought to rebut domestic concerns regarding the ballooning fiscal and logistical toll of extended military deployments in West Asia.

The address unfolded against a tense backdrop as the US-Iran confrontation reached its seventh month. While Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in New York for the annual diplomatic summit, neither leader attended Trump’s speech.

Iranian diplomats who were seated in the General Assembly hall staged a walkout as Trump began addressing the conflict, according to the Associated Press. Although direct head-of-state meetings have been ruled out, Reuters reported prior to the session that indirect communications and mediation frameworks remain active on the sidelines of the UN summit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 22, 2026 09:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).