Trump tells UN General Assembly he faces ‘big decision’ to ‘rebuild’ Iran or ‘annihilate’ the regime

He said he remained hopeful that a deal would be reached, but claimed the Iranian regime was waiting to see how well he performs in the US midterm elections in November.

“They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realise is I’m not running,” he said.

“I gave absolutely no credence, and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn’t even enter my mind, the only thing that does is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump went on, drawing applause from delegates in the room.

In his speech, Trump noted that the world had marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks two weeks ago and would, in two weeks’ time, mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

On that day in Israel, Trump said, “terrorists funded by Iran tortured, mutilated and killed 1,200 very innocent civilians including dozens of Americans and babies”.

“Iran’s supreme leader celebrated that massacre and called it a service to humanity. The same regime slaughtered over 72,000 of its citizens this year, recently 10,000 were killed for protesting.

“Just imagine such a vile regime were ever empowered to carry out large-scale terror attacks from behind a nuclear shield. This was the reality we had to confront, a reality far too many preferred to ignore.”

Trump called Iran the world’s “number one sponsor of terror” and said there was “no better example of a danger that was allowed to gather strength [to] the world’s peril”.

“For 51 years the fanatical Iranian regime has ruled with bloodshed and mass murder, spreading death, and carnage and chaos across the entire Middle East and beyond,” he said.

“They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more. From the first day I entered the political arena, I have been unwavering: I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said he had acted, through Operation Midnight Hammer in June last year, to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities, so that neither the US nor any other country in the world “would ever have to face such a nightmare, such a catastrophic problem”.

“As a result of Operation Epic Fury, all 159 ships of their navy are now lying at the bottom of the sea. Likewise, their air force is gone, their radar is gone, their anti-aircraft equipment is gone, their missiles and drone manufacturing capacity is almost gone, their economy is gone, the only thing that isn’t gone is inflation, which is destroying their country and is now well over 300 per cent,” he continued.

Trump’s speech came as news broke that Iran had offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic within seven days if the US lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump also called on all nations to join the United States “in enforcing the complete economic isolation of Iran until they stop their attacks on commercial shipping, relinquish their nuclear ambitions, and cease their support of terror”.

“The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate. If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51-year menace of Iranian terror.”

All but one member of the Iranian delegation to the UN was absent during Trump’s speech.

A large gathering of demonstrators opposed to Iran’s regime gathered outside the UN building as Trump spoke, calling for increased US intervention against the government.