ReportTrump at UN: Deal or Annihilation for Iran as Red Sea War WidensAired September 23, 2026 at 6:31 AM UTCWritten September 23, 2026 at 6:33 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:11Trump threatens to annihilate Iran unless it takes a deal.0:14Two oil choke points are under pressure at once, Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, with fuel0:19and food prices, stranded crews and cities near American bases exposed if0:23retaliation spreads.0:25Will a day of face-to-face meetings pull back toward de-escalation, or lock in a0:29wider confrontation over Iran and the Red Sea routes?0:32The stay was short and compressed.0:34Arrival Monday, then the main program Tuesday, then return toward Washington rather0:38than remaining through high-level week.0:40High-level week runs September 18 to 28, with the general debate September 22nd to0:4526 and 28 under the theme Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation.0:50Brazil speaks first by tradition, then the United States as host.0:53Nearly 130 heads of state and government attended.0:56At 9:55 a.m.0:57Tuesday, he addressed the 81st General Assembly general debate.1:01He defended recent American military action against Iran and Venezuela, called for1:05complete economic isolation of Iran, and framed the choice as a deal that lets Iran1:10rebuild versus annihilating the Islamic Republic and driving it into hell if no deal1:14is reached.1:15He said a deal could come after the midterm elections and described a pending big1:18decision.1:19He also said talks with an Iranian delegation that day had been very good for about1:23three hours and that a settlement was going to be reached with no Iranian nuclear1:28weapon.1:28Iranian delegates walked out when he discussed strikes.1:31Accounts conflict on what that means for diplomacy, with one saying he showed no1:35intention to resume talks and another saying he confirmed direct talks after the1:39speech.1:40And the detailed account holds that he called the three-hour session very good while1:43remaining in deciding mode among deal, economic pressure, or military action.1:47The other half of the binary is Yemen and the Red Sea.1:50Houthi fighters pushed deeper toward Bab al-Mandab, struck Saudi infrastructure1:54around Riyadh and Aramco-related sites and Saudi tankers and threatened Saudi Red1:58Sea export routes after disruption around Hormuz.2:01Saudi Arabia is pressing for more American military help to blunt missile and drone2:05pressure and defend export lanes.2:07Washington is weighing a negotiated settlement with Tehran against joining Saudi2:11offensive action.2:12Britain offered limited tanker support for Saudi defensive operations against Houthi2:16missiles.2:17The group of seven and European governments condemned the Houthi strikes, and the2:21Security Council condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and backed Riyadh's right2:25to self-defense.2:26Iran warned a new American attack would bring sustained retaliation against American2:30bases and interests without limitation, that regional allies assisting would be2:34treated as parties to the conflict, and that attacks on the Houthis should not2:37proceed.2:38The bilateral program tested whether face-to-face diplomacy moves any of that.2:42The first meeting with Burnham was set for 11:45 a.m.2:45Tuesday at United Nations headquarters and lasted about 40 to 60 minutes, about an2:49hour.2:49Trump greeted Burnham as a natural businessman and natural business person, said2:53Burnham has a lot of assets on his side, and said the relationship was better and2:57more up than under previous Prime Minister Keir Starmer.3:00The agenda covered Ukraine trade, the soaring cost of the Middle East conflict,3:04artificial intelligence, the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, and Iran.3:09Burnham asked Trump to raise the case of Jimmy Lai with Xi.3:12Burnham pitched Britain as a major AI player.3:15Trump criticized the British Chagos deal.3:18The encounter left a warm public tone over visible splits on Chagos, Iran, and3:22artificial intelligence.3:23It mattered because Burnham arrived only months after serving as mayor of Manchester3:27and after once saying he would refuse to meet Trump, then insisting he could trust3:31Trump and that the special relationship was as strong as ever.3:34Ukraine was fixed for 1:15 p.m.3:37Tuesday after earlier uncertainty and conflicting reports about Omission.3:41Trump and Zelensky had spoken by phone and agreed to meet in New York.3:45Zelensky arrived with about 20 meetings planned, including Trump and European and3:49Asian partners, including Ursula von der Leyen, Denmark, Japan, and Britain.3:53The focus for Kiev is de-escalation ideas, air defense, including patriots and3:58interceptors, winter energy and security, and sanctions follow-through while the4:02full-scale war with Russia continues.4:04The backdrop includes tariff tensions over bilaterals with allies and no meeting4:08planned with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Kearney against prior context of a claim4:12of having ended seven conflicts.4:14The Gulf file was fixed for 2:45 p.m.4:16Tuesday as a multilateral with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Arab4:20Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.4:23In an expanded Trump-hosted format that also brought in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,4:28Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan4:32present.4:33The listed topics are regional escalation and navigation through Hormuz and Bab4:37al-Mandab and containing the conflict.4:39Tuesday also listed a trilateral signing with the Prime Ministers of Denmark and4:43Greenland at 10:40 a.m., a bilateral with Japan Prime Minister Sinai Takaichi at4:4712:30 p.m., a Shield of the Americas event at 2:15 p.m., a leader's reception at4:527:15 p.m., and a pull-aside with Venezuela acting president Del Codriguez at 7:154:57p.m., plus a Monday meeting with France President Emmanuel Macron and a Gracie5:02Manchin meeting with New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani.5:05The GP sits outside New York.5:07Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the assembly to meet Trump one-on-one in5:11Washington on Thursday, September 24th, arriving late September 23 for one main day5:16of talks and departing September 25th.5:19The expected agenda is an extension of a trade truce, artificial intelligence5:23including a possible executive meeting.5:25Taiwan and strategic stability.5:27Unresolved is the binary carried into the hall.5:30A settlement letting Iran rebuild with complete economic isolation pressure versus5:35American participation in strikes risking retaliation without limit.5:39The exact form any American military help to Saudi Arabia would take, and whether5:43meetings with Burnham, Zelensky, Gulf, and expanded Arab leaders and then Xi produce5:48even a first step toward de-escalation on Ukraine.5:50Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab navigation, trade, AI in Taiwan, or lock-in5:56confrontation over Iran and the Red Sea oil routes.Explore with 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