Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran

United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, defended his war against Iran before the United Nations General Assembly, saying Tehran was no longer the dominant power it once was in the Middle East.

“They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more,” Trump said as the UN’s annual high-level debate, attended by leaders from around the world, opened in New York.

Trump said he had remained unwavering throughout his political career in his determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Iranian representatives in the assembly hall listened to Trump’s remarks without visible reaction.

The United States and Israel jointly launched the war against Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate with attacks across the region.

Trump portrayed the military campaign as having inflicted devastating damage on the country.

“As a result of Operation Epic Fury, all 159 ships of their Navy are now lying at the bottom of the sea,” he said.

“Likewise, their Air Force is gone. Their radar is gone. Their anti-aircraft equipment is gone. Their missile and drone manufacturing capacity is almost gone. Their economy is gone.”

Trump then dramatically raised the prospect of annihilating the Islamic Republic if Tehran does not strike a deal with Washington.

“I have a big decision to make,” he told the audience, saying one option was to make a deal with Iran.

“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 and no hope of future greatness or generations?”

Trump nevertheless said he believed Tehran would ultimately agree to a deal, likely after the U.S. mid-term elections.

Trump’s comments at the UN come as the conflict has created a growing political headache at home, driven in large part by soaring energy prices.

As the war has progressed, the dispute over Iran’s controversial nuclear programme has increasingly been overshadowed by the struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil trade.

Iran effectively brought shipping through the strait to a standstill with threats and attacks shortly after the war began, sending global oil and petrol prices sharply higher.

The surge has put Trump and his Republican Party under growing domestic pressure ahead of the midterm congressional elections in early November.

Public opinion polls show the war is growing deeply unpopular in the U.S. as it has now dragged on for almost seven months – far longer than the few weeks Trump initially said it would take.