Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has lashed out at the US for failing to respect international law, following Donald Trump’s threats to “annihilate” the Middle Eastern nation.
Pezeshkian, speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, said that Iran would not surrender in the war with the United States, but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict.
He showed a picture of girls at the Minab school which was attacked on the first day of the war killing 156 people including 120 children, according to local authorities. US military investigations have indicated a targeting fault was responsible.
The US delegation walked out at the start of Pezeshkian’s speech, after Tehran’s delegation did the same for Trump’s speech on Tuesday.
It comes one day after Trump said that US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had held a productive meeting with Iranian officials.
Earlier on Tuesday, the 80-year-old Republican delivered a combative speech at the UN, during which he said he could “annihilate” the Iranian government and “drive them into hell” if a peace deal is not reached.
The Iranian delegation is reported to have walked out of the meeting upon hearing the threats, according to The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg.
Read MorePentagon officially adds one more soldier death to US count from Iran war
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Key Points
- Trump claims 'very good meeting' with Iran despite his 'annihilation' threats
- Trump says he received 'good marks' on his UN speech about annihilating Iran
- Exiled Iranian crown prince says there's no peace under current regime
- Trump denies reports of US weapons shortages - watch
- Iran says it presented conditions to US through Qatari mediator
- Iranian president: US has no respect for international law
In pictures: Life continues for ordinary Iranians in Tehran
21:00 , Alex CroftTrump's approval rating on foreign affairs hits new low
20:00 , Alex CroftUS president Donald Trump’s approval rating on foreign affairs has hit a new low as the war in Iran drags on.
Just 29 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of foreign affairs, while 71 percent disapprove, according to a new CNN/SSRS poll. CNN noted that this is a new low in its polling.
When asked specifically about Iran, 26 percent of Americans said they approve of Trump’s handling of the war. This is down from 33 percent who approved of his job a month after the war began in late February.
UAE bans major Iranian bank from operating in the country
19:00 , Alex CroftThe United Arab Emirates has banned a major Iranian bank, Melli, from operating in the country as it accused it of failing to comply with regulations.
It could come as a blow to Tehran, whose links to the UAE provide a vital lifeblood for its economy.
Bank Melli Iran, founded in 1927, is the largest state-owned bank in the country and served as its central bank until 1960, when it was replaced by the Central Bank of Iran.
Watch: US walks out as Iranian president accuses them of 'terrorism' for 'bombing girls school'
18:01 , Alex CroftYemen’s factions battling Iran-backed Houthis share a common enemy but not common goals
17:00 , Alex CroftYemeni factions fighting the Iran-backed Houthis are united mainly in one thing — their opposition to the rebels who control the country’s north and have recently advanced along its Red Sea coastline.
But beyond that, the groups fighting under the banner of Yemen's internationally recognized government are divided by geography, foreign patronage and competing visions for what their country should look like if the Houthis are pushed back.
In a month of intense fighting that saw the Houthis' biggest land grab in years, factions of the anti-Houthi coalition lost their hold of Mokha, a strategic city on the Red Sea, and islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait further south. The advance ended a truce that had been in place since 2022 and had calmed a devastating civil war.
In pictures: US delegate walks out during Iranian president's speech
16:01 , Alex Croft

Weapons used to attack Iran must not pass through Hormuz - Iranian president
15:46 , Alex CroftPezeshkian has turned to the Strait of Hormuz, the central sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
"It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access to shipping through this waterway. The permanent deployment of hostile fleets and the expansion of the war will not lead to peace," he says.
The strait also must not be used for the passage of weapons that will be used to hurt Iran, he adds.
'They were innocent': Iranian president holds up image of children killed in Minab school strike
15:36 , Alex CroftIranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has shared images of children killed in a strike on a school in Minab.
“I come from an Iran where they bombed a school,” he told delegates at the assembly.
“These children perished under bombs with weapons used by the United States and Israel. They were innocent, had committed no crimes.”
A preliminary US military investigation has determined that Washington is responsible for the deadly Tomahawk strike, likely due to a targeting mistake.
Iranian president: US has no respect for international law - but Iran won't surrender
15:30 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing now from Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, who is speaking to the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday.
Iran will not surrender in the war with the United States, but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict, he says.
He adds that Washington has no respect for international law, adding that the Iranian regime needs to be strong and powerful to resist its US enemies.
Watch: Trump denies reports of US weapons shortages
15:01 , Alex Croft.@POTUS: The cowards and traitors would love to say the United States is low on munitions — but that’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly think of using and are building them up at levels we have never done before.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 22, 2026
In addition, in the very near future,… pic.twitter.com/uQhWMGFoz7
Two injured after cargo vessel struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, says UKMTO
14:28 , Alex CroftAn incident has been reported in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, in which a cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile, leaving it on fire and adrift, the UKMTO reported.
All crew were evacuated and two casualties reported, it said.
UKMTO said authorities were investigating, and that there was no reported environmental impact.
Pentagon officially adds one more soldier death to US count from Iran war
13:58 , Alex CroftJasmine Fernández reports:
The Pentagon updated its official casualty database to list 19 total U.S. military deaths related to the war with Iran after quietly adding a new fatality.
The change occurred following the death of a female Army officer who suffered a fatal medical emergency Friday while traveling to the Middle East, as reported by The Washington Post.
A U.S. defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity told the outlet that the casualty was logged into the database sometime after Monday afternoon. The death was reported earlier by Task & Purpose. Her identity has not been released.
The addition brings the total number of documented fatalities in the Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, to 19, up from 18 recorded earlier in the week. The database also lists more than 820 service members wounded in action.
However, current and former officials indicate the public count remains incomplete. Five U.S. officials told the publication last week that at least 22 service members have died in the region since military action began on February 28, while a sixth official placed the figure at 23.
Some of those unrecorded deaths involve military personnel deployed to the region during active hostilities, even if not directly killed in combat.
In response to reports regarding the accounting discrepancies, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected claims of intentional omissions.
“Even if we wanted to attempt to hide a combat death, we never would and we never could,” Hegseth said.
Yemen's Houthi rebels shook up the Mideast with a sudden blitz. Iran helped, sources tell AP
13:27 , Alex CroftIt took Houthi rebels less than 48 hours to seize Yemen's Red Sea coast from pro-government forces in a resounding blow to U.S. interests and Washington's regional allies.
But the Houthis didn’t do it alone. Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers were in the field helping direct the battle, people familiar with the offensive told The Associated Press, marking Iran’s most direct intervention in favor of its longtime ally since Yemen’s civil war erupted in 2014.
The intervention shows how Iran has built the Houthis into a major regional partner able to open a new front in the wider war with the U.S. The rebels’ biggest land grab in years, along with the closure of a key Saudi pipeline, strengthened their ability to choke off Saudi Arabia’s oil exports, pushing up global fuel prices and giving Iran greater leverage. The United States has seemed reluctant to help its ally Saudi Arabia, even as the Houthis have gained momentum in Yemen's revived civil war.
Read more here:
Yemen's Houthi rebels shook up the Mideast with a sudden blitz. Iran helped, sources tell AP
JD Vance questioned over Republicans breaking with Trump over Iran war
12:56 , Alex CroftUS Vice President JD Vance has said people are “very excited” about his administration’s handling of the Iran war, despite Republican candidates in the midterm election breaking with Donald Trump over the issue.
A reporter asked Vance for a response “about a growing number of Republicans in battleground states, calling for an end to the Iran war”.
“I haven't seen what you're talking about”, Vance said during a press conference Tuesday. “What I've seen is people who are very excited about what we've done. And, frankly, who don’t want to give control of Washington, D.C., over to the far-left Democrats”.
Trump's full speech to the UN: 'Globalist conspiracies', annihilating Iran and 'Super Intelligence'
12:25 , Alex CroftOil prices stay near two-week low
11:57 , Alex CroftOil prices have stayed near two-week lows, with Brent crude holding below the $100-a-barrel threshold it surpassed this month after Houthi fighters in Yemen launched a major offensive and fired into Saudi Arabia.
Traffic through the strait has increased slowly recently despite regular attacks on tankers.
Shipping companies are being paid by oil producers fees worth as much as a quarter of a cargo's value to switch off transponders, navigate the route and transfer crude to other vessels beyond the strait.
Exports from the United Arab Emirates have already recovered to pre-war levels, and Saudi Arabia has sold 60 million barrels of Gulf oil for both this month and next, to be delivered beyond the strait off the coast of Oman, a big increase from August.
Even so, disruption continues to squeeze global energy markets. About a third of Gulf oil is estimated to be missing from global supplies. Shortages have particularly hit refined products such as diesel, causing inflation, pushing up interest rates and hurting Trump's Republicans ahead of the elections.
Trump-fueled gas prices, his ‘forever’ war and all those tariffs give Democrats a real shot at stealing this deep-red state
11:42 , Alex CroftOn Monday, US Rep. Ashley Hinson, Donald Trump’s endorsed nominee in Iowa’s Senate race, made a public break from the president, calling for an end to the Iran war.
That was surprising considering that just last week, before Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the House of Representatives a day early, Hinson voted against a War Powers Act resolution to rein in Trump’s war. This came despite two of her Iowa Republican colleagues running for re-election — Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks — voting for the resolution.
But the pain at the gas tank is becoming too much across the board.
On Tuesday, Republicans’ reasons for breaking with the US president on Iran became clear. Marist University released a poll showing Josh Turek, the Paralympian-turned Democratic nominee for Senate, besting Hinson by eight points. Lest anyone think that poll is an outlier, a YouGov poll showed Turek with a one-point lead in Iowa.
All of this seems to show that Iowa, which has undergone a political transformation in the past 15 years to become a staunchly Republican state, is prime for a Democratic takeover.
Read on...
Trump’s high prices and ‘forever’ war give Democrats a shot at this deep-red state
Trump's approval rating on foreign affairs hits new low
11:10 , Alex CroftUS president Donald Trump’s approval rating on foreign affairs has hit a new low as the war in Iran drags on.
Just 29 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of foreign affairs, while 71 percent disapprove, according to a new CNN/SSRS poll. CNN noted that this is a new low in its polling.
When asked specifically about Iran, 26 percent of Americans said they approve of Trump’s handling of the war. This is down from 33 percent who approved of his job a month after the war began in late February.
Watch: Trump continues to make ominous threats against Iran at Middle East meeting at UN
10:30 , Alex CroftMacron says Strait of Hormuz risk was 'underestimated' but refuses to blame Trump
09:59 , Stuti MishraFrench president Emmanuel Macron said the risk posed by the Strait of Hormuz "was probably underestimated" but declined to blame US president Donald Trump for the escalating crisis.
In an interview with ABC News, Mr Macron said the main objective of his meeting with Mr Trump on Monday was to find a deal to reopen the strait and address the global energy crisis, which has driven up the price of petrol, diesel and jet fuel.
He said that when the war began, "the Iranian regime discovered they had this card in their hands", referring to Iran's ability to close the strait. Asked whether this had been a blind spot for Mr Trump, Mr Macron said: "I will not here blame anybody. We are where we are. I think the US is the one able to fix this issue, and we need you."
He added that the situation with the strait "was probably underestimated, and today we have to fix this issue."
Asked whether France would offer its military to help reopen the strait, Mr Macron said he did not want to enter a confrontation with any country, but that France was "ready to be more engaged in order to protect some capacities in order to make this transit possible."
Mr Macron also criticised the decision to go to war with Iran, saying that "having a regime change by bombing a country is not something I think feasible", adding that it was "not a good option, because it doesn't work" and that the US had made the same mistake "several times in the past decades."
Responding to Mr Trump's complaints that European allies were not doing enough to support US military spending, Mr Macron said France respected the US and considered itself a "good ally", but that allies should be consulted and strategised with before a war is launched.
Iran’s president faces stark choice in UN speech after Trump threatens ‘annihilation’
09:29 , Alex CroftIran's president Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in New York ahead of his speech at the UN General Assembly Wednesday, amid renewed hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough to the Middle East war.
At the annual high-level gathering at the UN headquarters, the Iranian politician will get the chance to defend his country’s position on the global stage.
But his speech comes just hours after US president Donald Trump renewed his threats against Iran in his speech to the assembly in New York.
Trump said he faces two choices on how to deal with the Iranian regime, one of which was “annihilation”. The Iranian delegation walked out when he made the remarks Tuesday.
Pezeshkian faces a similar choice in terms of what tone to strike in the speech, either pushing for further diplomacy or bowing to Iranian hardliners at home who want a more aggressive stance.
Below we look at what we know about Iran’s reformer president and the deadlock both sides hope to break.
Gergana Krasteva reports:
Iran president faces stark choice in speech to UN after Trump’s ‘annihilation’ threat
US envoy says he hopes talks with Iranian delegation 'prove constructive and promising'
09:00 , Stuti MishraUS envoy Steve Witkoff has said he hopes talks with the Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday “prove constructive and promising”.
Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day. They successfully completed a round of discussions that we hope will prove…
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) September 22, 2026
Democratic senator rebukes Trump threatening to annihilate Iran: 'Barbarism'
08:39 , Rachel DobkinDemocratic Senator Bernie Sanders has rebuked Donald Trump’s threat to annihilate Iran.
“No, Mr. President. We should not ‘annihilate’ the people of Iran.
“That is a war crime. That is barbarism. And it is something the United States must never be associated with”, Sanders wrote on social media.
The senator was referring to comments the US president made during his speech to the United Nations Tuesday.
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that let’s them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before”, Trump said in his speech.
“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly — Never giving them the chance to destroy people and countries again?” he said. “Do I drive them into hell with no chance of surivial and no hope of future greatness?"
Iran restores 50% production capacity at South Pars gas field
08:30 , Alex CroftIran has restored about 50 per cent of the production capacity at the South Pars gas field after it was damaged in an Israeli attack, deputy oil minister Ahmad Zeraatkar said according to the semi-official Fars news agency,
South Pars, which is the world’s largest natural gas field, is operated jointly by Iran and Qatar and was attacked on 18 March, just weeks after the US-Israeli war began on 28 February.
Zeraatkar added that all planned restoration work would be completed before winter.
He said in late August that about 40 per cent of the damaged capacity had been returned to production.
Pentagon officially adds another soldier death from Iran war
08:00 , Stuti MishraThe Pentagon updated its official casualty database to list 19 total US military deaths related to the war with Iran after quietly adding a new fatality.
The change occurred following the death of a female Army officer who suffered a fatal medical emergency on Friday while traveling to the Middle East.
Read more:
Pentagon officially adds one more soldier death to US count from Iran war
Oil prices fall as Saudi Arabia restarts pipeline and US-Iran talks raise supply hopes
07:30 , Stuti MishraOil prices fell further this morning after Saudi Arabia resumed crude flows through a key pipeline to the Red Sea and hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran eased fears of a prolonged supply disruption.
Brent crude was trading at $98.77 (£78) a barrel, down 0.48 per cent, having already fallen below $100 on yesterday for the first time since 8 September. US West Texas Intermediate crude was last quoted around $90 (£71) a barrel after falling yesterday.
Saudi Arabia restarted its East-West pipeline yesterday, having shut the route following drone attacks earlier this month. The pipeline connects oil-producing areas in the east of the kingdom with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, giving Saudi Arabia an alternative export route that does not rely entirely on the Strait of Hormuz.
The kingdom has been using the pipeline to reroute around 4 million barrels of crude a day, equivalent to roughly 4 per cent of global oil supply. The pipeline resumed at a reduced rate, however, after three pumping stations were damaged in the attacks, and sources told Reuters that restoring the system to full capacity could take several weeks.
US president Donald Trump said his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had held productive talks with Iranian mediators aimed at ending the conflict, adding there was "a lot of momentum" towards a possible deal, even as he continued to warn Iran of further military action.
Trump claims 'very good meeting' with Iran despite his 'annihilation' threats
07:00 , Stuti MishraDonald Trump said US and Iranian officials met yesterday, hours after he threatened in his address to the UN General Assembly that he may "annihilate" the Islamic Republic if a deal isn't reached soon to end the nearly seven-month war.
He told reporters that his chief envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met for about three hours with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders, but he offered few details about how the discussions transpired or the substance of the exchange.
"It was a very good meeting," Mr Trump said. The president later added that the Iranian officials were "not the highest level, but it's something."
Mr Witkoff said in a posting on X that the talks were conducted through mediators who shuttled between the US and Iranian teams. He added that he was hopeful the effort "will prove constructive and promising."
Watch: Trump speaks on his 'unwavering' efforts to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon
06:30 , Rachel Dobkin.@POTUS: Working with many nations in this room, we are solving decades of intractable challenges — and we are settling years of unfinished business.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 22, 2026
There is no better example of a danger that was allowed to gather strength at the world’s peril than the number one sponsor of… pic.twitter.com/m9gOGwd80O
JD Vance questioned over Republicans breaking with Trump over Iran war
06:00 , Rachel DobkinUS Vice President JD Vance has said people are “very excited” about his administration’s handling of the Iran war, despite Republican candidates in the midterm election breaking with Donald Trump over the issue.
A reporter asked Vance for a response “about a growing number of Republicans in battleground states, calling for an end to the Iran war”.
“I haven't seen what you're talking about”, Vance said during a press conference Tuesday. “What I've seen is people who are very excited about what we've done. And, frankly, who don’t want to give control of Washington, D.C., over to the far-left Democrats”.
Bernie Sanders says Trump's threat to 'annihilate' Iran would be a war crime
05:37 , Stuti MishraUS senator Bernie Sanders has said that annihilating the population of Iran, as threatened by president Donald Trump, would amount to a war crime and an act of barbarism that the United States must never be associated with.
Writing on social media, Mr Sanders said: "No, Mr President. We should not 'annihilate' the people of Iran. That is a war crime. That is barbarism. And it is something the United States must never be associated with."
Mr Sanders described the current conflict with Iran as "illegal and unconstitutional" and called on Congress to act immediately to bring it to an end.
No, Mr. President. We should not “annihilate” the people of Iran.
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 22, 2026
That is a war crime. That is barbarism. And it is something the United States must never be associated with.
Let’s be clear: Trump’s war in Iran is illegal and unconstitutional. Congress must end it NOW. https://t.co/OiCtVlVeoX
Watch: Trump denies reports of US weapons shortages
05:10 , Rachel Dobkin.@POTUS: The cowards and traitors would love to say the United States is low on munitions — but that’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly think of using and are building them up at levels we have never done before.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 22, 2026
In addition, in the very near future,… pic.twitter.com/uQhWMGFoz7
Trump-fueled gas prices, his ‘forever’ war and all those tariffs give Democrats a real shot at stealing this deep-red state
04:50 , Eric GarciaOn Monday, US Rep. Ashley Hinson, Donald Trump’s endorsed nominee in Iowa’s Senate race, made a public break from the president, calling for an end to the Iran war.
That was surprising considering that just last week, before Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the House of Representatives a day early, Hinson voted against a War Powers Act resolution to rein in Trump’s war. This came despite two of her Iowa Republican colleagues running for re-election — Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks — voting for the resolution.
But the pain at the gas tank is becoming too much across the board.
On Tuesday, Republicans’ reasons for breaking with the US president on Iran became clear. Marist University released a poll showing Josh Turek, the Paralympian-turned Democratic nominee for Senate, besting Hinson by eight points. Lest anyone think that poll is an outlier, a YouGov poll showed Turek with a one-point lead in Iowa.
All of this seems to show that Iowa, which has undergone a political transformation in the past 15 years to become a staunchly Republican state, is prime for a Democratic takeover.
Read on...
Trump’s high prices and ‘forever’ war give Democrats a shot at this deep-red state
Iran says it presented conditions to US through Qatari mediator
04:31 , Stuti MishraIran engaged with the United States through a Qatari mediator in New York and conveyed its conditions for peace, including an end to the fighting on all fronts and a halt to American "acts of aggression", Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state news agency IRNA.
Baghaei said Iran's conditions also included an end to the naval blockade and economic warfare, and the release of Iranian assets.
Full story: Devastating news for Trump as poll shows how Americans really feel about Iran war
04:04 , John BowdenUS President Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran continues to grow increasingly unpopular, shattering what was previously thought to be the barrier to how the president’s ratings could go, new polling suggests.
While Trump’s own general approval rating has held steady in the 30s, disapproval of the war in Iran continues to grow, threatening Republican midterm prospects and the president’s own political capital going forward.
A CNN/SRSS poll released Tuesday found that just about one in four Americans approve of the administration’s handling of the war in Iran, compared to nearly three quarters who disapprove. Trump’s rating on foreign affairs overall is only a few points higher, at 29 percent.
The president spoke about the war Tuesday as he railed against Iran at the United Nations General Assembly, threatening to “annihilate” the country and making a claim that Tehran was waiting to see how the midterm congressional elections turned out before returning to the table.
Read on...
Devastating news for Trump as poll shows how Americans really feel about Iran war
In pictures: World leaders gather for the UN General Assembly
03:33 , Rachel Dobkin

US envoy says he hopes talks with Iranian delegation 'prove constructive and promising'
03:03 , Eric GarciaUS envoy Steve Witkoff has said he hopes talks with the Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday “prove constructive and promising”.
Today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, we engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through the mediators, who shuttled between the two sides throughout the day. They successfully completed a round of discussions that we hope will prove…
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) September 22, 2026
Exiled Iranian crown prince says there's no peace under current regime
02:35 , Rachel DobkinExiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has warned that there's no peace under the current regime.
“As long as this regime continues to exist, peace cannot be attained”, Pahlavi told Fox News.
Pahlavi said the Iranian regime’s “only means of survival is to repress its people at home and use any means at their disposal to bully the world”.
When the US and Israel began striking Iran nearly seven months ago, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late supreme leader, replaced his father.
Mark Carney defends Trump's comments about destroying Iran
01:58 , Rachel DobkinCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has defended Donald Trump’s comments about destroying Iran.
When asked by a reporter at the United Nations about the US president’s rhetoric toward Iran, Carney said, “Well, there is a war underway, and he's speaking the language of war”.
But he also called for peace, telling reporters, “The important thing is to try and work consistently under international law to resolve this situation”.
Trump attends UN reception following controversial speech
01:25 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump is attending a reception with fellow world leaders after giving a controversial speech in which he threatened to annihilate Iran.
The Associated Press reported at around 7:30 ET that the US president arrived at the Lotte Palace Hotel in Manhattan for the United Nations reception.
Earlier, Trump told those same leaders, “I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?”
“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly — Never giving them the chance to destroy people and countries again?”
Democratic candidate slams Trump's war in Iran
Wednesday 23 September 2026 00:58 , Rachel DobkinAbdul El-Sayed, a Democrat running for the US Senate in Michigan, has slammed Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
When asked by Fox News how the US gets out of the conflict, El-Sayed said, “You don’t get in the first place. We had a full-on agreement that had contained nuclear weapons”.
El-Sayed was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions.
Trump withdrew from the deal during his first term in 2018, arguing, “the deal allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium and — over time — reach the brink of a nuclear breakout”.
Watch: Trump's full speech to the UN: 'Globalist conspiracies', annihilating Iran and 'Super Intelligence'
Wednesday 23 September 2026 00:27 , Rachel DobkinFull story: Trump takes a shot at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for being at the UN for his speech
Tuesday 22 September 2026 23:55 , Andrew FeinbergUS President Donald Trump scolded CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for being at the United Nations General Assembly to cover his speech after he banned the network, along with MSNOW and Politico, from the White House for what he perceived as unflattering coverage of his presidency.
Collins was part of the press gaggle at the UN in New York Tuesday morning and asked the president, “Two-thirds of Americans don’t think the US is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?”
Trump began by saying it was an “honor” to be at the event, before taking a swipe at Collins.
“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” he snapped. ”You shouldn’t be here.“.
Collins replied, “The United Nations allowed us in, sir”.
Read on...
Trump takes a shot at CNN for being at the UN for his speech: ‘You shouldn’t be here’
Watch: Trump says his reps met with Iranian delegation for 3 hours
Tuesday 22 September 2026 23:27 , Rachel Dobkin.@POTUS says his representatives met with the Iranian delegation to the United Nations earlier today: "I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to do it... In one case, it's obliteration and the other alternative is potential greatness. It could be a great country." pic.twitter.com/yTBO2ZGBuu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 22, 2026
Pentagon officially adds one more soldier death to US count from Iran war
Tuesday 22 September 2026 23:09 , Jasmine FernándezThe Pentagon updated its official casualty database to list 19 total US military deaths related to the war with Iran after quietly adding a new fatality.
The change occurred following the death of a female Army officer who suffered a fatal medical emergency Friday while traveling to the Middle East, as reported by The Washington Post.
A US defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity told the outlet that the casualty was logged into the database sometime after Monday afternoon. The death was reported earlier by Task & Purpose. Her identity has not been released.
Read more...
Pentagon officially adds one more soldier death to US count from Iran war
Trump's approval rating on foreign affairs hits new low
Tuesday 22 September 2026 22:41 , Rachel DobkinUS President Donald Trump’s approval rating on foreign affairs has hit a new low as the war in Iran drags on.
Just 29 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of foreign affairs, while 71 percent disapprove, according to a new CNN/SSRS poll. CNN noted that this is a new low in its polling.
When asked specifically about Iran, 26 percent of Americans said they approve of Trump’s handling of the war. This is down from 33 percent who approved of his job a month after the war began in late February.
Trump says he received 'good marks' on his UN speech about annihilating Iran
Tuesday 22 September 2026 22:16 , Rachel DobkinUS President Donald Trump has said he received “good marks” on his speech to the United Nations about annihilating Iran.
“I had a good time making a nice speech today. I've gotten actually very good marks. They gave me good marks. I don't know what that means”, Trump said Tuesday.
Earlier, Trump vowed to “annihilate” the Iranian government and “drive them into hell”.
The Iranian delegation is reported to have walked out of the meeting upon hearing the threats, according to The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg.
US military shows off weapon that can 'eliminate aerial threats'
Tuesday 22 September 2026 21:52 , Rachel DobkinUS Central Command has shown off a Phalanx Weapon System in the Middle East, which it says can “eliminate aerial threats”.
U.S. Army Soldiers reload a Land-based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) in the Middle East. The LPWS is a mobile air defense system that can eliminate aerial threats. pic.twitter.com/XI2UYxbenR
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 22, 2026
WATCH: Trump says 'it'll end so quickly your head will spin'
Tuesday 22 September 2026 21:30 , Brendan Rascius'We may have to blow up...Pickaxe mountain,' Trump says
Tuesday 22 September 2026 21:11 , Brendan RasciusPresident Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. may destroy Pickaxe Mountain, which lies on the south side of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site.
“We may have to blow up another one, Pickaxe mountain,” the president said. “We’re not seeing a lot of activity there, but if we do we’ll blow it up immediately.”

