Trump at UN General Assembly: Iran likely to accept deal after midterms
US President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly he believes Iran's leadership will be open to a peace agreement after November's congressional elections. He also stressed that the United States would never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
RastinewsUS President Donald Trump devoted much of his address to the war with Iran at the United Nations General Assembly, which opened in New York on Tuesday. Referring to November's congressional elections, Trump said, "They're waiting to see how I perform in the midterms."
Trump said he believed Iran's leadership would be willing to strike a peace deal after November.
"They were the bully of the Middle East, but not anymore"
Trump had this to say about Iran's leadership: "For 51 years, the fanatical Iranian regime has ruled through blood and mass killing, spreading death across the Middle East and beyond. They were the bully of the Middle East, but not anymore. I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Trump claimed he had repeatedly offered Iran peace proposals, but that Tehran had made a "big mistake" by rejecting them.
The US president also claimed the war had destroyed Iran's navy, its drone production capacity and its nuclear program. Trump further accused Iran of being behind the October 7 attack on Israel three years ago through its support for Hamas.
"While others talked, I acted"
Describing himself as "president of the most extraordinary nation in history," Trump said, "While others talked, I acted."
Gratitude for Gaza, and for Turkey
Trump claimed he had ended eight wars since taking office. He said the Gaza war, too, had been brought to an end through negotiations he pursued after his UN General Assembly address a year earlier.
Trump thanked the 30 countries that joined the "Gaza Peace Board" initiative and expressed gratitude to a number of countries, including Turkey, for their humanitarian aid.
Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba
Trump said an agreement reached with Denmark over Greenland would be signed on Tuesday, and that two large military bases would be built on the island. He also said he believed the Russia-Ukraine war would end "faster than people can understand."
Trump described the operation against Venezuela as "proof that we will use military force when necessary," and said his administration had signed "the biggest oil deal in history" with the Venezuelan government last month.
Trump said Washington was "seeking change" in Cuba as well, prompting the Cuban delegation to walk out of the hall. He described the International Criminal Court as "an evil group of people who are anti-American."
US to call AI "super intelligence"
Trump announced that the United States would from now on use the term "super intelligence" instead of artificial intelligence, saying, "The US is the world leader in super intelligence, and will remain so."
War with Iran nears seventh month
The US and Israel launched a new war against Iran roughly seven months ago. The strikes killed much of Iran's senior leadership and largely destroyed the country's air and naval forces.
In last year's UN General Assembly address, Trump had claimed that strikes on three key nuclear facilities in June 2025 had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capability.