Trump Threatens Iran as Diplomacy and Energy Crisis Grow

At the U.N. General Assembly, President Donald Trump defended the U.S. war with Iran, saying military action was intended to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and claiming the United States had destroyed Iran’s nuclear program. He presented Iran with a choice between a deal enabling reconstruction and renewed U.S. military action, including his threat to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic, while urging countries to impose complete economic isolation. Trump said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a three-hour, potentially productive meeting with Iranian officials, reportedly including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with further talks expected; he had previously said a decision on an agreement or escalation could come after the U.S. midterm elections. Iran denied seeking nuclear weapons, dismissed Trump’s threats as propaganda and strategic desperation, and said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington ended military pressure and its naval blockade, released frozen Iranian assets and halted the war. The disruption of the waterway has constrained global energy shipments and raised costs for import-dependent countries, although Saudi Arabia restarted its East-West oil pipeline as an alternative export route. Trump also consulted Gulf and Jordanian leaders about the conflict’s security and economic consequences, while Iranian and Cuban delegates walked out after he criticized their governments.