In U.N. speech, Trump threatens to “annihilate” Iran and defends handling of global conflicts

Updated on: September 22, 2026 / 11:59 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington — President Trump defended his handling of conflicts around the world in a speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, saying he could "annihilate" Iran while predicting that its leaders would make a deal to end the war after the U.S. midterm elections.

He framed his approach to foreign policy over his first two years back in office as deploying American power to solve "decades of intractable challenges" that previous U.S. leaders have failed to address.

"I do not believe in letting problems fester. They only become harder to solve. So while others have talked, I have acted," he said.

The roughly 35-minute speech came before Mr. Trump is set to meet with other world leaders on the sidelines of the annual U.N. gathering, including the prime minister of the U.K. and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He is navigating several ongoing international conflicts beyond the war with Iran, which will hit its seven-month mark next week. Mr. Trump is also seeking to close a peace plan for the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, and has struggled to bring Russia's invasion of Ukraine to an…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/healthwatch/