Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, President Donald Trump delivered a stark warning to Iran, stating that the United States faces a choice between reaching a negotiated agreement or annihilating the country. Speaking shortly after other global leaders emphasized the need for multilateral cooperation and regional peace in the Middle East, Trump took a confrontational tone toward Tehran.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said from the podium, posing a binary choice: either the U.S. will facilitate a deal allowing Iran to rebuild and potentially become a major power in the Middle East, or it will destroy the Islamic Republic swiftly to prevent further violence. The president also suggested that Iranian officials were deliberately prolonging tensions to influence the outcome of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, in which Republicans are aiming to maintain control of Congress.

Trump asserted, “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.” His remarks appeared to confirm ongoing U.S. assumptions about Iran’s motives for engaging cautiously in diplomacy.

The president’s comments echoed earlier rhetoric he employed in April, when he issued a social media threat warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” That statement drew widespread condemnation from legal experts, some of whom classified it as potentially constituting a war crime. Observers noted the unusual severity of Trump’s language at the UN gathering, a forum designed to promote peaceful conflict resolution following the devastation of World War II.

During his address, Trump also criticized other countries, including Cuba, and disparaged international institutions, underscoring a broader skepticism toward multilateral diplomacy. Iranian and other diplomats appeared impassive during the speech, which came amid nearly seven months of heightened conflict involving the United States and Israel with Iran.

Trump’s remarks underscore a continued U.S. hardline posture toward Iran, juxtaposed against calls from many world leaders for dialogue and de-escalation in the region. The president’s framing of the situation as a stark “deal or destruction” scenario signals the intensifying stakes and complexities surrounding Iran’s role in Middle Eastern stability and U.S. foreign policy objectives.