At the UN, Trump Says He May “Annihilate” Iran or Make a Deal After the Midterms; Iran’s President Says It Is Ready to Negotiate, Not Submit to “the Language of Force”

Update: Since IF Daily’s Sept. 21 report, President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have both addressed the UN General Assembly, and U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks, with no breakthrough announced. Our earlier report: https://ifdaily.net/stories/trump-deciding-mode-iran-pezeshkian-un-meeting-2026.

Trump told the General Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that he has "a big decision to make" on Iran: make a deal that lets it rebuild, or "annihilate the Islamic Republic," according to NBC News. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Pezeshkian told the same body that Iran is "ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force." No meeting between the two leaders was confirmed in the coverage IF Daily reviewed.

NBC News reported that Trump said he was considering whether to "annihilate" Iran and drive it "into hell." "I have a big decision to make," he said. "Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild... Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic?" He said he expects the first outcome and the timing: "I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to," a reference to the U.S. midterm elections in November. He also said: "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."

Pezeshkian spoke a day later, in what NBC News described as a defiant address. "America and Israel attacked us... our people stood steadfast," he said. "Yes, they did hit us, but we did not bend the knee." He said Iran seeks "no nuclear weapons and no limitations to new peaceful nuclear technology." And he said, in the line that drew the most attention: "Iran must be understood... we are ready for dialogue and diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force," according to NBC News and Euronews.

NBC News reported that Pezeshkian held up photographs of children he said were killed in a U.S. strike on a school in Minab, in southern Iran, and a photograph of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who NBC reported was killed by Israeli forces on Feb. 28. Casualty figures for the school strike come from Iranian state media and differ between reports, and IF Daily has not independently verified them. Euronews reported that he also proposed collective security for the Middle East: "Either we will build security together, or we will endure insecurity together."

U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks during the gathering, with Qatari intermediaries relaying questions between U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian officials, according to NBC News. Trump later said the U.S. side had a "very good meeting," NBC reported. Euronews reported that a U.S. official called the exchange "positive" but cautioned against seeing it as "a major breakthrough," while Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said the talks contained "nothing new."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed Iran’s criticism after the speech. "They violate the sovereignty of every one of their neighbors by sponsoring terrorist organizations," he said, according to NBC News.

The two governments have now laid out very different public positions: Trump describes a choice between a deal and annihilation, with a deal expected after the midterms, while Iran says it will negotiate but not under threat. Trump had said in an earlier Fox News call, relayed by reporter Trey Yingst, that he would "probably" be open to meeting Pezeshkian, and no such meeting was confirmed in the coverage reviewed. Neither side has announced concessions. IF Daily will update this story as talks develop.