U.S. President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to defend the war against Iran, warning that he could "annihilate the Islamic Republic" if no agreement is reached to end the conflict.
Trump said military action had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and urged other countries to increase economic pressure on Tehran.
"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: "Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations? But I believe we'll make a deal right after the election."
Iran war takes centre stage
The speech marked Trump's latest attempt to justify the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which has pushed up global fuel prices and become a central issue in U.S. politics ahead of November's midterm elections.
Trump said he expected a deal to be reached after the election, arguing that Iran was waiting to see the political outcome in the United States.
"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 has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons.
Diplomacy and criticism of the UN
Trump also used the annual gathering of world leaders to promote his foreign policy record and was expected to reiterate criticism of the United Nations and other international institutions.
Following the speech, he was scheduled to hold a series of meetings with world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and leaders from Gulf states.
Source: Reuters
