President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly that he is considering making a deal with Iran, but also may choose to annihilate the Islamic Republic.
“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, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world,” Trump said in his speech on Tuesday. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”
Throughout the nearly seven-month-long war, the President has frequently wavered between striking a deal with Iran and threatening to destroy the country. He has issued threats to destroy the Islamic Republic if Iran does not give in to his demands. However, Trump has repeatedly allowed deadlines he imposed on Tehran to pass without carrying out his threatened escalation.
Despite Trump’s remarks about annihilating Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the President would be willing to meet with members of the Iranian delegation while they were in New York City for the General Assembly.
“This is a president that will meet with anybody for the most part, because he believes that engaging with people is important if you’re going to solve problems,” Rubio said. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to end up agreeing with them, but it’s important.”
Following Trump’s speech, the President said US and Iranian officials had met on the sidelines of the General Assembly. The meeting marked the first confirmed direct contact between Washington and Tehran since the war began.
Tehran is trying to use the UN summit to reignite diplomacy with the US. A senior Iranian official told Kyodo News that it includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington takes steps to lift its blockade and ease military pressure. The proposal was relayed to the US through intermediaries as top Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, were preparing to travel to New York City for the General Assembly gathering.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was a key provision in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in June. Under the MOU, Iran committed to allowing traffic through the waterway to return to prewar levels, but was given control over shipping in the Strait.
The MOU also required Washington to lift its blockade of Iranian ports. However, after the agreement broke down in July, Trump declared the MOU “over” and reimposed the blockade. Tehran has since argued that Washington must fulfill its commitments under the agreement before negotiations for a permanent end to the conflict can resume.
Since Trump declared the MOU dead in July, Iran has demanded that the US uphold its commitments to the agreement before talks for a permanent end to the conflict resume.
