Middle East — 2026-09-23

Trump Threatens to Annihilate Iran in UNGA Speech While US-Iran Hold First Direct Talks Since June

BLUFPairing annihilation rhetoric with resumed direct talks very likely will not produce a nuclear deal before the November 3 midterms, as both sides' preconditions remain fundamentally unreconciled.

President Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he faces a choice to either let Iran "rebuild" through a negotiated deal or "annihilate the Islamic Republic" and "drive them into hell," predicting a deal would come only after the November midterm elections 123. Most of the Iranian delegation walked out during the remarks 4. Hours later, Trump told reporters that envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner held roughly three hours of direct talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of UNGA, the first such face-to-face session since Switzerland talks in June, calling it "very good" and "very productive" with another meeting scheduled soon 4. Iranian state media reported Araghchi presented conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including lifting the US naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending fighting by Iran-aligned forces 4. Trump also said Iran "will never have a nuclear weapon" and dismissed reports of depleted US munitions stockpiles, telling the assembly the war has run nearly seven months 23.

Analysis
The Witkoff-Kushner channel with Araghchi very likely will not produce a comprehensive nuclear settlement before the November 3 midterms, since Trump has tied deal timing to the election outcome while Iran's Hormuz preconditions, lifting the naval blockade, releasing frozen assets, and halting proxy fighting, remain unresolved. This judgment carries high confidence given consistent convergence across three primary outlets and one digest on both the speech and sidelines talks. The delta from prior reporting is stark: the anticipated Gulf-leaders strategy session has been overtaken by a previously unreported direct channel, the first face-to-face contact since June. The annihilation threat may function as leverage timed to the talks rather than a genuine shift, extracting concessions on Hormuz terms rather than signaling policy change. A deal would let Gulf shippers and oil markets plan around an eased blockade, while stalemate through the midterms forces sustained US naval commitments and keeps diesel costs elevated for Western and European buyers.

4 sources

Trump Threatens to Annihilate Iran in U.N. Speech - Foreign Policy
Trump tells U.N. he could 'annihilate' Iran but expects a deal after the midterm elections - NBC News
In U.N. speech, Trump threatens to "annihilate" Iran and defends handling of global conflicts - CBS News
US, Iran Hold Direct Talks After Trump 'Annihilation' Threat - Kyiv Post