Trump at U.N. General Assembly: “I Have a Major Decision to Make, Whether to Destroy Iran”

U.S. President Donald Trump is delivering his address today (Tuesday) at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, with the war in Iran and his decision to join the campaign alongside Israel at the center of his remarks. Trump declared: “While others talked, I acted. While others talked about peace, I achieved it. While others ignored threats, I confronted them. While others talked about courage, America showed it.”

Regarding the war against Iran, he said: “There is no better example of danger than the Islamic Republic of Iran. For 51 years, Iran’s fanatical Islamic regime has ruled through blood and mass murder, spreading death, destruction, and chaos throughout the Middle East and beyond. They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are no longer the bully.”

Trump added: “From the first day I entered the political arena, I was determined. I will never allow Iran to become a nuclear-armed nation. Upon taking office last year, I immediately began negotiations with Iran. I offered them full economic cooperation in exchange for ending their nuclear program and their support for terrorism, but they refused. They refused completely. It was a major mistake.”

The American president later emphasized: “And again, I urged Iran to reach an agreement, and again, they refused. The regime continued building an extensive missile system and a stockpile of drones that threatened the security of every American soldier in the region. They also produced a missile capable of striking Europe, and they were very proud of it. I hope Europeans understand that Iran’s goal was to complete its mad dash toward a nuclear bomb behind a shield of conventional ballistic missiles.”

He also said that “I have a major decision to make, whether to destroy Iran.” He qualified the statement, adding: “I believe we will reach an agreement after the midterm elections.”

Also in the background of Trump’s speech is the possibility of renewed contacts between Washington and Tehran. According to CNN, Trump told his advisers that he would be interested in meeting with Iranian officials in New York if “the conditions are right.” Another option under consideration is a meeting between Iranian representatives and his senior advisers, but no official meeting has been scheduled at this stage.