The United Nations General Assembly began on Tuesday, 22nd September, with U.S. President Donald Trump once again threatening to “annihilate” Iran.
Trump, the second of almost 200 speakers at the General Assembly this week, made the comments in a 35-minute speech just hours before U.S. and Iranian officials held a three-hour meeting through mediators in New York.
Donald Trump Giving a Speech. Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.
Donald Trump in 2023 Speaking. Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.
The President’s speech kicked off a pivotal week of meetings with other world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Continuing Threats
Trump reiterated a forthcoming “big decision” he first hinted at during an interview with Axios a few days before the General Assembly began.
On Thursday last week, the President spoke of a dilemma as to whether he should resume major operations against Iran as part of the conflict, which is approaching its eighth month.
“I do not believe in letting problems fester. They only become harder to solve. So while others have talked, I have acted,” Trump said on Tuesday, referencing his approach to foreign policy.
He then recounted his previous justifications for the conflict, including concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, noting how negotiations had failed to bring a permanent conclusion to the war.
“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?” Trump asked. “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?”
And yet, he never clarifies what ‘annihilate’ actually means.
Trump also reiterated a previous comment where he suspected Iran would “make a deal” shortly after November’s midterm elections.
Meetings in Manhattan
After the President’s 35-minute speech, Trump claimed that U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with the Iranian delegation for three hours on the sidelines of the General Assembly. He said the meeting had gone “very well” while conceding that the Iranian officials were “not the highest level.”
Witkoff later clarified that the meeting had taken place through mediators “who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day” in a post on social media. “They successfully completed a round of discussions that we hope will prove constructive and promising. The mediators will continue their work,” Witkoff added.
Trump himself spent much of the day in meetings, including with the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council. He also met Japanese Prime Minister Sane Takaichi and is expected to meet with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez.
A Wide-Ranging Speech
Back in the General Assembly, Trump touched upon other foreign policy issues during his first two years back in the White House. He claimed he had brought about peace in a way few other leaders could, settling years of “unfinished business.”
“While others have talked, I have acted,” Trump said. “While others have spoken of peace, I have made peace. While others have ignored threats, I have confronted them. While others have talked of courage, America has shown it. While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world.”
The President noted how the military operation in Venezuela that removed President Nicolas Maduro from power was “proof that the United States will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere,” while also praising the recently signed security agreement with Denmark that will give the U.S. more defensive control over Greenland.
More to Come
Trump’s highest-profile meeting of the week is set for Thursday, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the White House.
It’s an important moment for Trump, marking the second meeting since the war with Iran – an ally of China – began in February this year.
U.S.-Chinese relations have improved somewhat since the President visited Beijing earlier this year, following a retaliatory trade war between the two superpowers.
Trump has sought a more positive relationship with his Chinese counterpart ever since, even dismissing reports that China provided satellite imagery of a U.S. military base in Jordan where three Americans were killed by an Iranian strike.
“I think he’s behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well,” Trump said of President Xi’s conduct during the war so far.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
