Trump Holds Three-Hour Negotiations With Iran on Day of 'Annihilation' Threat... Iranian Military Calls It 'Domestic Political Propaganda'

Trump Announces "Further Negotiations Planned"
Iranian Military Dismisses Remarks as "Domestic Political Propaganda"

On the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to annihilate Iran if no agreement was reached during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. and Iranian officials held a three-hour meeting. President Trump described the talks as productive and indicated that further negotiations would follow, but the Iranian military dismissed his remarks as "domestic political propaganda." With hardline statements and diplomatic outreach occurring simultaneously, it remains unclear whether the two countries will actually move toward a truce negotiation.

U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by AFP Yonhap News Agency

On September 22 (local time), at the 81st UN General Assembly General Debate held at the UN Headquarters in New York, President Trump stated, "I must make a major decision," adding that he must decide whether to reach an agreement and give Iran a chance to rebuild or destroy Iran swiftly and completely.

He continued, "Should I come to an agreement with Iran so that they can rebuild and become a greater country than ever before? Or should I annihilate the Islamic Republic quickly, so that they never again have the opportunity to kill people and destroy nations?"

He openly raised the possibility of annihilating a specific nation in front of world leaders convened to discuss peace and international cooperation at the UN General Assembly. The Iranian delegation left the meeting room during President Trump’s speech.

President Trump declared that he would not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons and called on the international community to join in economically isolating Iran. He also stated that Iran was watching the results of the U.S. midterm elections coming up in November, saying, "I believe an agreement will be reached immediately after the election."

U.S. Holds 3-Hour Meeting With Iran

However, after finishing his speech, President Trump revealed that U.S. and Iranian officials held a meeting for about three hours in New York. During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump told reporters, "It ended an hour ago, and it was a very good meeting." He added, "It was very productive, and an additional meeting is scheduled in the near future."

From the U.S. side, Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for the Middle East under President Trump, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner participated. President Trump reiterated the pressure, saying, "The options are either complete destruction or the potential to become a great nation," and insisted, "coming to an agreement is also in Iran's best interest."

Bloomberg evaluated that diplomatic expectations resurfaced after President Trump emphasized the outcome of the meeting just hours after threatening to annihilate Iran. However, the Iranian government has not officially confirmed the meeting or the participants.

Iran Criticizes President Trump... Leaves the Door Open for Negotiations

The Iranian military strongly opposed President Trump’s speech at the United Nations. According to Iranian state-run broadcaster IRIB, Iran’s armed forces general staff and the central command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated in a joint declaration, "The hostile statements and repeated threats President Trump has directed at Iran are thoroughly nothing more than tools for domestic propaganda, rather than being based on facts."

They added, "Considering the decline of U.S. military capability, these unfounded claims and threats are not a show of strength," arguing, "The U.S. offensive against Iran is proof that it has fallen into a strategic stalemate and despair."

Nonetheless, Iran has left the possibility of negotiations open. A senior Iranian official stated that if the U.S. eases military pressure and lifts the blockade on Iranian ports, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened within seven days.

While both sides agree on the necessity of negotiations, there remains a wide gap in their positions regarding the terms of a truce. The U.S. is demanding that Iran abandon its development of nuclear weapons, lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and cease its support for regional militant groups such as the Houthis. Iran, meanwhile, is demanding the removal of U.S. sanctions and guarantees that there will not be repeated military attacks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.