Trump Tells UN Iran Deal Possible After Midterms, Urges Total Economic Isolation
In his UN General Assembly address, Trump said a deal with Iran could come after November's midterms and called for complete economic isolation of Tehran.
US President Donald Trump told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday that Washington could reach an agreement with Iran following November's midterm elections, while warning that Tehran would never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon.
"I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to," Trump said, suggesting Iran may be waiting to see how Republicans fare at the polls. He stressed that he was not himself a candidate, saying he had already won a landslide, and that the election outcome would not shape his Iran policy. His overriding concern, he said, remained preventing Tehran from developing nuclear arms.
Repeating a long-standing position, Trump said he had been unwavering since entering politics. He described Iran as the leading state sponsor of terrorism and said it was no longer the dominant force it once was in the Middle East.
Call for economic isolation
Trump urged countries worldwide to join Washington in applying sweeping economic pressure on Tehran until it halts attacks on commercial shipping, abandons its nuclear ambitions and ends support for terrorism. He said such pressure could also bring down oil prices, and thanked the UN Security Council for passing a resolution condemning what he called Iranian attacks on commercial shipping, saying nations must now remain united in maintaining pressure.
He claimed the US Navy had recently escorted more than a billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz and that oil flows were higher than at any point since the war began.
'Big decision' on Iran
Presenting two possible paths, Trump said a deal could allow Iran to rebuild and become a far greater country than before, or, failing that, he could move to destroy the Islamic Republic quickly. He said he believed an agreement would ultimately be reached after the election.
Weapons stockpiles and Ukraine
Rejecting suggestions that US military stockpiles were running low, Trump said America had more munitions than it could possibly use, was producing weapons and ammunition at unprecedented levels, and was building new munitions plants while adding to its stockpiles faster than ever.
Turning briefly to Russia's war in Ukraine, he said Washington was working closely with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and that the conflict would be resolved, adding it would happen sooner than many expect. He did not outline a timeline or mechanism. Before entering the UN headquarters, he directed a brief message at Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to settle the war.
Cuba and Venezuela
On Cuba, Trump described the country as an absolutely failed state that would fall, and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is Cuban American, was handling negotiations with Havana. He warned that foreign adversaries would not be allowed a haven on America's doorstep. The Cuban delegation walked out of the assembly during his remarks.
He cited US actions in Venezuela as proof that Washington would no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, adding that military power would be used if necessary to secure vital national interests.
Domestic record
Opening his address, Trump said his administration had inherited a dark age from its predecessor and turned it into a golden age, pointing to the economy, immigration and crime. He framed his foreign policy as action rather than rhetoric, saying that while others spoke of peace he had made peace, and that he had used strength to make America the most powerful country in the world, confronting dangers rather than leaving them to grow.