Trump weighs Iran deal as US, Tehran hold fresh talks amid ‘hell’ threat

NEW YORK — US President Donald Trump has revealed that American and Iranian officials held three hours of talks on Tuesday, marking their first known in-person discussions in months, even as he warned that he could “annihilate” Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The disclosure came after Trump delivered a forceful speech at the UN, where the conflict with Iran featured prominently and the president presented Tehran with a choice between reaching an agreement and facing further military action.

“I have a big decision to make — will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country?” Trump said in his address.

The Iranian delegation largely left the chamber during the speech, with only one member remaining.

“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival?” Trump added.

The 80-year-old president said he expected Iran to agree to a deal immediately after the November midterm elections, when Republicans face the possibility of losing control of Congress amid concerns over the economic effects of the conflict.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to speak at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

Trump confirms three-hour meeting

Following his UN address, Trump confirmed that US and Iranian representatives had met for three hours during the UN gathering.

“They had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting — they have another one scheduled in the very near future,” he told reporters while meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Later, while meeting Gulf leaders at the UN, Trump said, “I think there’s a lot of momentum for them to make a deal, that’s what we’re hearing from everybody.”

Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported that Araghchi had outlined conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

IRIB quoted Araghchi as demanding “the immediate lifting of the (US) naval blockade, the prompt payment of all Iranian assets that have been frozen, and an end to the war on all resistance fronts.”

Witkoff said in an X post that mediators had “shuttled between the two sides throughout the day.”

“They successfully completed a round of discussions that we hope will prove constructive and promising,” he said, adding, “the mediators will continue their work.”

Iran war enters sixth month

The talks were believed to be the first face-to-face discussions between Iranian and US officials since Vice President JD Vance met senior Tehran officials in Switzerland in June.

Trump had said after the US and Israel launched the war on February 28 that the conflict would last only four or five weeks. More than six months later, the fighting continues.

A ceasefire agreed in April broke down quickly, while negotiations have stalled over Iran’s refusal to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has defended the economic consequences of the war, including high fuel prices, by arguing that Iran must be prevented from developing a nuclear weapon as pressure grows from voters over the conflict.

Although much of his UN speech adopted a confrontational tone, Trump also described himself as a peacemaker acting in the interests of the United States.

“While others have ignored threats, I have confronted them,” he said.

Zelensky talks and Greenland agreement

Trump’s meeting with Zelensky also highlighted the unresolved war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump previously claimed he could end Russia’s invasion within 24 hours but has yet to secure a deal.

He insisted he was working with both sides to end the conflict, although there has been little evidence of Russian President Vladimir Putin being willing to accept a settlement.

“It’s going to happen, I think, more quickly than people understand,” Trump said at the UN.

Zelensky later said Ukraine was ready to stop attacking Russian energy sites if Moscow agreed to do the same, following Trump’s call for Kyiv to halt strikes on diesel refineries.

Trump also signed a security agreement with Greenland and Denmark while at the UN, an arrangement that has, for now, cooled his calls for seizing the autonomous Danish territory.

The agreement provides for the United States to build two military bases in southern and eastern Greenland and prevents non-NATO countries from establishing military facilities on the Arctic island.

“It’s going to be a long-term, fantastic relationship,” Trump said, despite the concern his territorial claims over Greenland since returning to power have caused among traditional US allies.

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