Trump at UN: Deal or 'Annihilate' Iran Amid Calls for Peace

Addressing the UN General Assembly, President Trump said he must decide whether to allow Iran to rebuild or to annihilate the country, framing the decision as a binary between diplomacy and military action. The president did not specify which path he was leaning toward, but his language signal a continued hardline posture toward Tehran.\n\nThe comments followed a plea from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who called on the assembly to end conflicts worldwide. Guterres specifically condemned the destruction in Gaza and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, describing the latter as a 'war crime'—a characterization echoed by Jordan's King Abdullah II in separate remarks.\n\nTrump's remarks come amid a period of heightened global tension, with multiple conflicts active in the Middle East and beyond. The president also claimed it would be his 'honour to settle eight wars,' including the war in Gaza, though he provided no specifics.\n\nThe UN General Assembly session, taking place this week, has seen world leaders weigh in on issues ranging from regional security to humanitarian crises. Israeli forces, meanwhile, have continued military operations, including a reported siege of a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank.\n\nThe juxtaposition of Trump's combative tone with Guterres's call for peace underscores the deep divisions among nations over how to address the conflicts that continue to destabilize the region and the world.