In short
- US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on 22 September 2026 that he could make a deal with Iran or “annihilate the Islamic Republic”, 11 minutes into a 40-minute address.
- Trump said twice that Iran’s theocratic government had held power for 51 years; the 1979 Islamic revolution that installed it took place 47 years before the speech.
- Trump said the Iranian government “slaughtered over 72,000 of its citizens this year”; no definitive death toll has been established and earlier estimates were much lower.
- Members of Cuba’s delegation were seen leaving the hall as Trump predicted the island’s communist government “will fall”.
- Trump said US special forces seized Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in January and took him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on 22 September 2026 that he could make a deal with Iran or “annihilate the Islamic Republic”, in a 40-minute speech that also warned Cuba’s government would fall and defended US actions in Venezuela.
What did Trump say about Iran?
Eleven minutes into the address, Trump said he had “a big decision to make” over Iran, which he said had resisted more determinedly than he expected when he decided to go to war against the country in February.
He asked whether a deal would let Iran “rebuild, and create a far greater country than it ever was before”, or whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly”.
“Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” he said.
Did Trump’s claims about Iran match the record?
Trump twice said the theocratic government had held power for 51 years. The Islamic revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and installed the current system took place in 1979, 47 years before the speech.
He also said the regime “slaughtered over 72,000 of its citizens this year”, referring to the crushing of protests in January. No definitive death toll has been established, and earlier estimates, including ones Trump himself had given, were much lower.
What did Trump say about Cuba?
Members of Cuba’s delegation were seen leaving the hall as Trump predicted the imminent collapse of the island’s communist government, which he called “an absolutely failed state”.
“It’s failing like never before, and it will fall,” he said, adding that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “deep into negotiations with Cuba”.
Cuba has been contending with a food security and humanitarian crisis under tightening US embargoes, and its national grid has collapsed, leaving millions without power.
What did Trump say about Venezuela?
Trump cited the seizure of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by US special forces in January, and his transfer to New York to face drug-trafficking charges, as proof that Washington “will no longer permit threats to America to gain a foothold anywhere in the western hemisphere”.
He said the US would “use our unmatched military might” if necessary. A UN report has found that US boat strikes may amount to crimes against humanity.
Trump also praised a recent US oil deal with interim Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez, saying it put the two countries jointly in control of more than 60% of the world’s oil. A US-led firm won 100-year rights to 17 Venezuelan oilfields.
“It was perhaps the biggest deal ever made. To the victor belong the spoils – you’ve all heard that,” he said.
What else did Trump say?
Trump called the International Criminal Court “an out-of-control institution” and “an evil group of people”, and said the US would never allow its service members to be investigated by “an anti-American tribunal with no jurisdiction over us”.
He praised NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as “a great leader”, a change of tone from his earlier criticism of the alliance, and called Denmark “an incredible, beautiful country” days after announcing an agreement over Greenland. He also said he intended to compete on a new battleground: artificial intelligence.
Frequently asked questions
What did Donald Trump say about Iran at the UN General Assembly?
Trump said he had “a big decision to make” over Iran, asking whether to reach a deal that would let the country rebuild or to “annihilate the Islamic Republic”, 11 minutes into a 40-minute address on 22 September 2026.
Did Trump say Iran’s Islamic Republic has ruled for 51 years?
Trump said that twice in the speech, but the 1979 Islamic revolution that installed the current system took place 47 years before the address, not 51.
What did Trump say about Venezuela?
He cited the January seizure of President Nicolás Maduro by US special forces and said Washington would use “unmatched military might” if needed, and praised an oil deal with interim president Delcy Rodríguez.
What happened to Cuba’s delegation during the speech?
Members of Cuba’s delegation were seen leaving the hall as Trump called the country “an absolutely failed state” and predicted its communist government “will fall”.
With reporting from The Guardian.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
