Donald Trump told the opening session of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, that he has “a big decision to make” on Iran: a deal that lets Tehran rebuild, or to “annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly,” according to Reuters and IANS.

The US president said he expects a deal “right after the election” — the US midterms on November 3, 2026 — and called on other countries to enforce the “complete economic isolation” of Iran until it abandons its nuclear program, stops attacking commercial shipping and ends support for armed groups. He said Iran’s missile and drone manufacturing capacity is “almost gone” and that inflation in the country is “well over 300 percent,” a figure he attributed to no source.