US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday 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, saying it had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ended its position as the dominant power in the Middle East.
“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.“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 added.
Trump then asked whether he should “drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations”.Despite the threat, Trump said he expected an agreement after the midterm elections.
“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.
‘IRAN IS THE BULLY NO MORE’
Trump urged other countries to maintain economic pressure on Iran and accused Tehran of being the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism.“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 said.
“They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more.”Trump said the war would not affect his own political future, noting that he was not a candidate in the midterm elections.
“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 midterms will determine control of Congress and could shape the final two years of Trump’s presidency.
CALL FOR CONTINUED PRESSURE
Trump thanked the UN Security Council for what he described as an overwhelming vote condemning Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.“Now we must be equally united in maintaining pressure,” he said.
Trump claimed that the US Navy had escorted more than 1 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began. He also said oil shipments through the strategic waterway were now higher than at any point since the start of the war.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. Disruption to shipping through the waterway can affect global oil supplies and prices.
TRUMP REJECTS MUNITIONS SHORTAGE CLAIMS
Trump dismissed reports that the prolonged conflict had strained American military stockpiles.
“It’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using,” he said.
The US was producing weapons at record levels and building new munitions plants, he added.
His remarks came amid questions over the cost of the conflict and the pressure it has placed on US weapons reserves.
IRANIAN DELEGATES WALK OUT
The US-Iran conflict is now in its seventh month. Reuters reported before the speech that Trump was expected to defend the war while continuing diplomatic engagement with regional leaders.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in New York for the UN meeting but did not attend Trump’s address.
Iranian representatives who were present in the General Assembly hall walked out during his speech, according to the Associated Press.
