Trump Tells UN General Assembly He Could 'Annihilate' Iran, Predicts Deal After Midterms

Addressing the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, President Trump said he faced 'a big decision to make': either allow Iran to negotiate a deal that lets it 'rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before,' or 'annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly.' Trump predicted Tehran would not agree to terms until after the November midterm elections, saying 'I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to,' and suggested Iran was 'waiting to see how I do' at the polls. The remarks, delivered as the six-month-old US-Iran war continued, prompted a rebuke the following day from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who told the same chamber 'we will not bow our head' and displayed photos of children killed in the conflict while the sole US delegate present walked out of the speech.