Trump tells UN he faces ‘big decision’ between Iran deal and ‘annihilating’ Islamic Republic

Trump said he believed an agreement could come after November’s midterm elections, suggesting Iranian leaders were waiting to see the results.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he could pursue a deal with Iran after the US midterm elections or move to “annihilate the Islamic Republic,” while insisting Tehran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump framed the choice as part of a broader approach of confronting threats rather than allowing them to grow, telling world leaders that while others had spoken about peace, “I have made peace.”

“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,” Trump said.

Turning to his options for Tehran, Trump asked whether an agreement could allow Iran to “rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before,” before presenting 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?” he said.

Trump said he believed an agreement could come after November’s midterm elections, suggesting Iranian leaders were waiting to see the results.

“They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realize is that I’m not running,” Trump said.

He added that the election would not influence his decision, saying, “The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump also thanked the UN Security Council for overwhelmingly approving a resolution condemning Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and called for continued international pressure on Tehran.

Separately, the president rejected reports that US weapons supplies have been depleted during the monthslong war with Iran, saying the country has “more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using.”

A recent Pentagon watchdog report acknowledged depletion of key US munition stockpiles, while CNN reported last month that the military had exhausted nearly 80% of its interceptors for a key missile defense system and that senior commanders had warned supplies were “dangerously low.”

Trump said production was expanding rapidly.

“We are adding to our stockpiles faster than we have ever been able to do before,” he said, adding that new munitions plants were being built.