‘Strike a deal or drive Iran into hell’: Trump issues fresh warning to Tehran at UNGA
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Strike a deal or drive Iran into hell’: Trump issues fresh warning to Tehran at UNGA")
President Donald Trump urged countries to maintain economic pressure on Iran. Photograph: (Screengrab from video)
President Trump said the US and Iran could reach a deal after the November 3 US midterm elections, as he believes the Iranian leadership is waiting for the midterm election results. Trump said he was not concerned about the political impact of the war on the Republican Party’s prospects.
US President Donald Trump said at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that he was weighing options on whether to pursue a deal with Iran or intensify pressure on Tehran, while warning that the second alternative could drive the country “into hell”.
“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 said.
“Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” Trump said but added that he believed an agreement was possible after the US midterm elections in November.
‘Maintain economic pressure on Iran,’ Trump urges nations
Trump urged countries to maintain economic pressure on Iran, saying Tehran was no longer the “bully of the Middle East”.
He said the US had weakened Iran’s power in the Middle East and called on other countries to remain united in pressuring Tehran.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
“There is no better example of a danger that was allowed to gather strength at the world’s peril than the number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president said, adding, “They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more.”
Trump nevertheless said he believed Washington and Tehran could reach a deal after the November 3 US midterm elections.
“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.
Trump added that he was not concerned about the political impact of the Iran war on the Republican Party’s prospects in the midterms.
“What they don’t realize is that I’m not running. I did that already and won in a landslide, and I’ll be here for two-and-a-half years,” he said, adding, “The Republican Party is running, and I’ll be helping them. But I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn’t even enter my mind.”
Trump also thanked the UN Security Council for the “overwhelming vote” condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping.
Trump called on countries to enforce complete economic isolation on Iran till it ends attacks on commercial shipping, abandons its nuclear ambitions and stops supporting terrorism.
“I call on all nations to join us in enforcing the complete economic isolation of Iran until they stop their attacks on commercial shipping, relinquish their nuclear ambitions, and cease their support of terror,” Trump said.
He described Iran’s regime as weak and desperate, saying its actions were driven by weakness rather than strength.
“The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate,” Trump said.
“Now we must be equally united in maintaining pressure,” he said.
‘US Navy escorted more than 1bn barrels of oil through Hormuz’
Trump further claimed that the US Navy had escorted more than 1 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz and said oil flows were higher than at any point since the start of the war.
“The United States Navy has recently escorted more than one billion barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz, and more oil is flowing than at any point since the start of the war,” Trump said.
“We’re taking 22, 25, 30, 32, and 37 ships out, respectively, every single day, every single night,” he added.
Trump rejects claims of US running low on munitions
On US military stockpiles, Trump rejected claims in the media that Washington was running low on munitions.
“It’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using,” he said, adding that the US was producing weapons at unprecedented levels and building new plants for munitions production.
‘Our country is stronger today than ever before’
President Donald Trump began his UN General Assembly address in more of an election campaign style, while focusing on his domestic track record on the economy, immigration, and crime, saying, “Our country is stronger today than ever before. Our future is very, very bright. Our energy is fuelling the planet, and our economy is the envy of the world.”
“I can report to you with pride that America is back and our country is stronger today than ever before,” Trump said. “Our technology is second to none, and we are leading in virtually everything.”
Trump touted economic and crime statistics under his administration and said, “Our nation is growing, our power is expanding,”
The president further said that last year saw “the largest drop in violent crime ever recorded. The murder rate has plummeted to its lowest level in 125 years since the year 1900.”
He attributed lower crime numbers to his administration’s actions, including his sending “crime busters”, an apparent reference to National Guard and federal immigration enforcement personnel, to various US cities.
“When I arrived on Jan. 20 of last year in Washington, D.C., it was riddled with crime, and now crime is down 87%, and we’re going for 100,” he said. “Tourism is thriving, restaurants are bustling, and people are proud of our nation’s capital.”
