Trump at UN threatens to 'annihilate' Iran without deal — SkimNews
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- Trump used his Sep 22 UN General Assembly speech to warn he could "annihilate the Islamic Republic" of Iran if no peace deal is reached, while predicting a deal would come "right after the Nov 3 midterm elections" because Iran is "waiting to see how I do in the midterm election."
- Trump framed the speech as justification for the February US-Israeli strikes on Iran, citing Tehran's nuclear program, its support for regional proxy groups, and the prospect of regime change—rationales Iran has consistently denied by insisting it does not seek nuclear weapons.
- Trump called on other nations to join the US in economically isolating Iran to "force it to the negotiating table," and was separately expected to criticize the UN for encroaching on US sovereignty and advancing what his administration calls a "left-wing agenda."
- After his speech, Trump was scheduled to meet at least 11 world leaders including British PM Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and representatives of six Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar).
- Trump was set to sign an accord with Denmark and Greenland increasing US military presence on the island while limiting that of "geopolitical adversaries," a step officials hope ends Trump's past comments about taking Greenland by force.
- Trump was preparing for his first-ever meeting with Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, who rose to power after US forces snatched President Nicolas Maduro in January; allies say the US is working with her to open Venezuela's oil sector to US investment.
- The US-Israeli war against Iran has driven up global fuel prices and pushed Trump's approval rating to an all-time low of 32% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday, with fellow Republicans souring on his handling of the cost of living ahead of the November 3 congressional midterms.
Why it matters: Trump is publicly conditioning any escalation against Iran on the November 3 midterms, betting Tehran will wait out the election before negotiating—which ties the war's trajectory directly to GOP political fortunes. With his approval at a record-low 32% and fuel prices already a drag on Republicans, even Trump's own framing suggests the diplomatic clock and the electoral clock are now the same clock.
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