Trump addresses UN with threats toward Iran and criticism of international institutions

Donald Trump used his address to the UN General Assembly in New York to threaten to “annihilate the Islamic republic” of Iran “and do it quickly.” He called on countries to isolate Tehran and bring down global energy prices.

Despite the rhetoric, Iranian officials held three hours of talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the meeting, according to the source report. Witkoff said he felt very good about the meeting. It was the first reported contact of its kind since US Vice-President JD Vance met an Iranian delegation in Switzerland in June.

A senior Iranian official also indicated that Iran was prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, according to the report.

Trump called warnings about runaway artificial-intelligence agents a “hoax” and said the US would build new military bases in Greenland. He also attacked the International Criminal Court as a “rogue organisation.” Cuba’s delegation walked out after he described the country as a “failed state.”

Trump criticized CNN’s coverage of his appearance, saying the network should not be covering him. The previous week, he announced a ban on CNN, Politico and MS Now from the White House.

The report also said Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor in November’s midterm elections, removed almost every mention of Trump from an updated campaign website. This followed public criticism of Trump’s immigration-enforcement policy by Florida Republican María Elvira Salazar.