Trump threatens to annihilate Iran ahead of Pezeshkian UN address

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to address the United Nations after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran unless it agrees to a deal to end the nearly seven-month conflict. Trump said U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had held a constructive meeting with Iranian representatives and predicted an agreement could follow the U.S. midterm elections, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to talks but opposed Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran’s armed forces condemned the threat as evidence of U.S. “strategic desperation” and warned that further attacks could trigger more severe and unpredictable retaliation. Washington is preparing tighter sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector, and Iranian media reported flight disruptions to Baghdad and Muscat while other international routes remained operational. The conflict has caused extensive regional and civilian casualties, killed U.S. service members and disrupted global oil supplies and fuel prices. Trump’s wider U.N. address challenged international institutions, while leaders including France’s Emmanuel Macron urged renewed commitment to international law and multilateral cooperation.