Trump Says "Possible to Intensify Strikes Against Iran After Midterms"... Rubio Demands Delegation's Immediate Departure

Reopening of the Strait Proposal Rejected

Axios: "With No Progress in Negotiations, Immediate Departure Demanded of Iranian Foreign Minister and Others"

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he may intensify airstrikes against Iran after next month’s midterm elections. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly demanded that the Iranian delegation, who were in the U.S. for the UN General Assembly amid stalled negotiations, leave the country immediately. As the U.S. and Iran fail to reach any agreement, the Trump administration appears to be ramping up both military and diplomatic pressure simultaneously.

In an interview published by the news weekly *Time* on the 1st (local time), President Trump replied “It’s possible” when asked if he would increase the intensity of airstrikes against Iran after the midterm elections on November 3. The interview was conducted at the White House on September 28.

"Iran’s Proposal to Reopen the Strait Not Enough"

U.S. President Donald Trump. White House Website

He also reaffirmed his previous remark at the UN General Assembly that the U.S. “could annihilate” Iran, stating, “Yes, I would do it. It’s possible.” He further claimed that he has “achieved world peace” with his approach of emphasizing the “annihilation of Iran,” asserting, “As long as Iran exists, I do not believe we can ever enjoy peace.”

President Trump said that Iran’s recent so-called “7-day plan” for reopening the Strait of Hormuz was also insufficient. When asked why he rejected the proposal, he responded, “Because I would not approve something today that I did not approve a year ago.”

He explained, “They proposed to open the strait,” adding, “I may have seen part of the proposal, but likely not all of it.” He continued, “The proposal simply was not enough.”

President Trump also dismissed concerns about the U.S. military’s response capabilities. He stated, “We have a lot of weapons. We have stockpiled them over the past six months.” Regarding the official Department of Defense (War Department) report about ammunition shortages, he characterized it as “mostly fake news.”

However, he did acknowledge, “We have slightly lower stock levels for certain types of ammunition compared to other types.” He continued, “We have intermediate and upper-intermediate grade ammunition, and these are very powerful and more effective than ever.”

Rubio Demands Immediate Departure of Iranian Delegation at UN General Assembly

According to a report by Axios on the same day, Secretary Rubio demanded on September 28 that the Iranian delegation in New York leave the United States immediately. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was also among those asked to depart.

Just hours after receiving the request, the Iranian delegation headed for the airport and departed New York in the early morning of September 29. Axios reported that while the U.S. had hoped for progress in negotiations, Secretary Rubio issued the departure request as the stalemate continued.

The delegation was originally scheduled to depart around that time, but Axios noted that it was a highly unusual diplomatic measure for the U.S. secretary of state to demand immediate departure.

Although the Iranian delegation’s visit to the U.S. during the war had raised hopes for progress, the two sides were unable to narrow their differences.

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