US President Donald Trump has declared that Iran will never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon, while also signalling that a diplomatic agreement remains possible if Tehran chooses to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Speaking at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday, Trump said his administration had repeatedly offered Iran opportunities to negotiate a deal over its nuclear programme but claimed the Iranian government rejected those overtures.
“I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told world leaders during his address.
According to the US president, his administration proposed extensive economic cooperation in exchange for Iran ending its nuclear programme and withdrawing support for terrorist activities.
“Upon taking office last year, I immediately opened negotiations with Iran and offered them full economic cooperation in exchange for ending their nuclear programme and support for terror, but they refused. They absolutely refused,” Trump said.
Describing Tehran’s response as a “big mistake,” Trump said the United States subsequently carried out military action targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Despite that, he maintained that the door to diplomacy remains open.
“And again, I urged Iran to make a deal, and again, they refused,” he said.
Trump framed Iran’s future as a choice between economic recovery through negotiation and the prospect of further military confrontation.
“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?” he asked.
He contrasted that option with what he described as the alternative of decisive military action against the Islamic Republic.
“Would we annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” Trump said.
Despite his tough rhetoric, the US president expressed confidence that Iran would eventually agree to negotiations.
“Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations? But I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election, because it doesn’t make sense for them not to,” he said.
Trump also suggested that Iran’s leadership was closely watching the outcome of the upcoming US midterm elections before deciding whether to re-engage in talks with Washington.
“They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realise is that I’m not running,” he added.
The remarks underscore continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear activities, while highlighting the Trump administration’s dual approach of maintaining military pressure and pursuing a negotiated settlement.
