Trump unloads on Iran at UN as its officials sit in the room: ‘Bully of the Middle East’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: President Donald Trump turned the United Nations General Assembly into a direct defense of his war against Iran on Tuesday, September 22, delivering a forceful account of US military action while Iranian officials sat inside the chamber.

Trump called Tehran the world’s “number one sponsor of t**ror” and said Iran had been “the bully of the Middle East” but “is the bully no more.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to address the assembly Wednesday, as Tehran signals diplomacy could resume while the war continues.

Trump makes Iran his UN target

Trump devoted a substantial portion of his address to Iran, describing Tehran as a threat that Washington could no longer allow to grow.

“There is no better example of a danger that was allowed to gather strength at the world’s peril than the number one sponsor of t**ror, the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.

“For 51 years, the fanatical Iranian regime has ruled by bloodshed and mass mur*er, spreading death and carnage and chaos across the entire Middle East and beyond.”

“They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more,” Trump said.

He added: “From the first day I entered the political arena, I’ve been unwavering. I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump links strikes to nuclear threat

Trump said the United States had acted after Iran was allowed to strengthen its capabilities, presenting military action as the decisive answer to the threat.

He said Washington halted Iran’s “mad dash to a nuclear bomb from behind this ballistic missile shield.”

“If they had succeeded, that wicked regime would have been free to spread t**ror and death forever,” Trump added.

Trump also said the United States would use military might when necessary to secure vital national interests.

“While others have talked, I have acted,” he said.

“While others have spoken of peace, I made it.”

The conflict began February 28 after US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Trump threatens Iran with annihilation

Trump then presented Tehran with what he described as a choice between a deal and further military action.

“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” he asked.

“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic?”

He continued: “Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”

Trump said he believed a deal could eventually be reached, while warning that Iran would face destruction if it refused to capitulate.

Reports from Tuesday also indicated that Iranian officials had signaled readiness to revive negotiations through mediators at the UN.

Tehran weighs its next move

The Iranian delegation walked out during Trump’s speech, according to multiple reports. 

Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the 193-member assembly Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the delegation’s goal is to defend Iranian interests while pursuing diplomatic contacts.

Tehran has also signaled a possible opening over the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran could reopen the waterway within seven days if Washington eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.

No direct Trump-Pezeshkian meeting has been scheduled, although the United States has said it remains open to discussions with Iranian officials at the UN.

The conflict involves US military personnel, a strategically important shipping route and energy flows that can affect transportation and household costs.

The Strait of Hormuz is particularly important because disruption there can affect the movement of oil and other commodities through a major global trade route.