At UN, Trump threatens Iran with 'hell,' then after reveals the two sides had ‘very productive’ talks - National Post

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on Sept. 22, 2026. Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentPresident Donald Trump revealed that U.S. and Iranian officials held talks Tuesday for the first time in months, even as he told the United Nations he was still deciding whether to “annihilate” Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took part in a meeting with Trump’s roving envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Trump’s carrot-and-stick approach began with a bombastic speech to the UN General Assembly in New York focused heavily on his stalled, unpopular war against the Islamic Republic.

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“I have a big decision to make — will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country?” the 80-year-old said in his speech, during which all but one member of the Iranian delegation walked out.

“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival?”

Trump said he believed Iran would make a deal immediately after November’s midterm elections — in which Republicans face losing control of Congress due largely to the conflict’s drag on the U.S. economy.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is slotted to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

Just after his speech, Trump revealed that Iranian and U.S. representatives had met for three hours on the sidelines of the UN gathering.

“They had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting — they have another one scheduled in the very near future,” Trump told reporters as he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump later added while meeting Gulf leaders at the UN that “I think there’s a lot of momentum for them to make a deal, that’s what we’re hearing from everybody.”