Trump Threatens to Annihilate Iran as US, Tehran Hold 3-Hour UNGA Talks

3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 23

A 3-hour in-person meeting between US and Iranian officials at the UN General Assembly reopened a diplomatic channel that had nearly collapsed after the June memorandum lapsed last month.
Hours after that session, Trump used his UN speech to threaten to “annihilate” Iran, then told reporters the talks were “very good” and said another meeting could come soon.
Iran answered with its own escalation: the Armed Forces General Staff warned of strikes against the US and Israel that would be “more crushing and less predictable” than earlier in the nearly 7-month war.
The gap remains over sequencing: Tehran wants sanctions relief, frozen assets and the naval blockade eased first, while Washington wants movement on Hormuz shipping and Iran’s nuclear program.
Analysts say the dueling threats are part of bargaining strategy, helping both sides claim they negotiated from strength even as fuel-price pressure in the US and sanctions pain in Iran raise incentives for a deal.