IRANIAN DELEGATES LEAVE UNGA HALL AFTER TRUMP THREATENS IRAN

Members of Iran’s delegation walked out of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday after United States President Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if Tehran fails to reach a deal with Washington. The walkout occurred during Trump’s address to the 81st session of the General Assembly, where he defended the US military campaign against Iran and warned that the conflict could escalate if an agreement is not reached.

Trump said he faced a choice between reaching a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild and taking military action against the country. He argued that his administration’s campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and said he believed an agreement could eventually be reached. He linked the expected timing of a deal to the November US midterm elections, although he said he himself was not a candidate in the election.

The Iranian delegation began leaving the General Assembly Hall roughly 10 minutes into Trump’s speech as he turned his attention to the conflict with Iran. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in New York for the UN gathering but were not present inside the hall during Trump’s address. Most of the Iranian delegation departed, leaving only a lower-level diplomat in the chamber for the remainder of the speech.

Despite the confrontation at the General Assembly, diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran continued on the sidelines of the UN meeting. Trump later confirmed that US and Iranian officials had held discussions, while US envoy Steve Witkoff said the two sides had engaged in lengthy talks through mediators. The discussions were part of continuing efforts to find a way to end the conflict, which began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier in the year.

Trump also used his roughly 37-minute address to discuss other international issues, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, artificial intelligence, the International Criminal Court, drug cartels and Cuba. During his remarks on Cuba, he described its government as failing and said it would fall, prompting the Cuban delegation to subsequently walk out of the General Assembly Hall. The UN General Assembly is the organisation’s main deliberative body, bringing together member states to discuss international security, development and other global issues.