US-Iran War LIVE News Updates: US President Donald Trump has warned that he could “annihilate” Iran if Tehran fails to reach a deal with the United States soon, sharply escalating his rhetoric even as a fresh round of US-Iran engagement took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Addressing the UN, Trump said he faced a “big decision” between allowing Iran to rebuild through a settlement and destroying the Islamic Republic “quickly.”
The warning came on a day that also saw an unexpected diplomatic engagement between the two sides. Trump said his chief envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held a roughly three-hour meeting with Iranian officials through mediators. Trump described the meeting as “very good”, while Witkoff said he was hopeful the talks would prove “constructive and promising”.
The engagement followed months of stalled US-Iran communications after the collapse of a short-lived ceasefire brokered in June. Earlier Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump was open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York, stressing that Trump believes engagement is important to solving problems even when it does not lead to agreement.
The Iran war remained at the centre of Trump’s UN address, where he defended his decision to launch the conflict and urged Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to negotiations.
The war, now nearing seven months, has already seen major damage to Iran’s military leadership and infrastructure, while a US blockade of Iranian oil has severely affected its economy. The conflict has also continued to unsettle energy markets, with disruptions affecting key oil and shipping routes.
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