Donald Trump said that US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held a productive meeting with Iranian officials — just hours after threatening to “annihilate” the Middle Eastern nation.
“It was a meeting that lasted for three hours”, the US president told reporters Tuesday while in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.
“Very good meeting”, Trump added. “I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to. It's greatness, potential greatness, or obliteration”.
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.
He said that Tehran is now “weak and desperate”, adding: “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon”.
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.
Meanwhile, Iran has said it is willing to reopen the beleaguered Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US lifts military pressure and the blockade on Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official told Reuters Tuesday.
Read MoreTrump at UN pitches himself as the world’s leader but stone-faced General Assembly isn’t buying it
Devastating news for Trump as poll shows how Americans really feel about Iran war
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Is it safe to travel to Riyadh? Latest advice after Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia
Key Points
- Iran says it presented conditions to US through Qatari mediator
- Trump makes new threats against Iran: 'We won’t have a chance of letting them survive'
- Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Iranian officials
- Trump threatens to 'annihilate' Islamic regime and 'drive them into hell' in UN speech
- Iranian delegation walks out upon Trump threats
- US government tells Americans to ‘seriously reconsider’ travel to the Middle East
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 mediatorI
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.”
Trump makes new threats against Iran: 'We won’t have a chance of letting them survive'
Tuesday 22 September 2026 20:53 , Brendan RasciusPresident Trump made additional threats against Iran during his meeting with Middle Eastern leaders in New York on Tuesday, saying he may not let Iran “survive as a nation.”
“We’re just putting the pressure on because hopefully they’ll do the right thing fast before it’s too late,” the Republican president said of Iran. “There’s gonna be a time when it’s too late, and we won’t have a chance of letting them survive as a nation.”
“Look, it’s gonna go one way the other,” he added. “We’re gonna make a deal or it’s gonna end very, very quickly — so quickly your head will spin.”
Trump is meeting with leaders of Middle East nations on sidelines of the UNGA
Tuesday 22 September 2026 20:45 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump is participating in a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly with the leaders of several Middle East nations.
Among those taking part in the meeting are the leaders of Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Syria.
Axios reported last week that the meeting would likely focus on “U.S. ideas for a postwar strategy” in Iran.
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Iranian officials
Tuesday 22 September 2026 20:17 , Brendan RasciusU.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump confirmed.
“It ended an hour ago. It was a meeting that lasted for three hours,” the president told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
“Very good meeting,” Trump added. “I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to. It's greatness, potential greatness, or obliteration.”
Analysis: Trump’s UN speech went from campaigning to denial — and then it took a dark turn
Tuesday 22 September 2026 20:05 , Brendan RasciusNobody had high hopes for Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly, and as the president ambled out to the lectern and tiredly began ranting about how “I can report to you with pride that America is back and our country is better than ever before,” most diplomats and journalists alike settled in for a proto-rally.
The vintage Trumpian claims came thick and fast. “Our economy is the envy of the world,” he told the gathered world leaders, who looked decidedly unenvious. “We are leading in virtually everything,” he added, as though the prime ministers and presidents of Canada and France and the U.K. and South Korea were actually going to applaud it, much less believe it.
Read Holly Baxter’s analysis...
Trump’s UN speech went from campaigning to denial — and then it took a dark turn
Trump snaps at reporter when asked when Iran war will end
Tuesday 22 September 2026 19:45 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump snapped at a reporter on Tuesday when asked when the Iran war will end.
“Two-thirds of Americans don’t think the U.S. is winning the war with Iran,” CNN’s Kaitlin Collins asked the president while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. “When will it end?”
“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” Trump replied. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Last week, Trump abruptly banned journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House. The outlets subsequently sued.
Trump suggests 'settlement' could soon be reached with Iran during meeting with Burnham
Tuesday 22 September 2026 19:30 , Brendan RasciusDuring a sideline meting with U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Tuesday, President Donald Trump suggested that a “settlement” could soon be reached with Iran.
“I think that a settlement is going to be reached,” Trump said. “They want to talk to us. They have been talking to us, even today. They’ve been talking to us, and the relationship is developing.”
Trump calls International Criminal Court ‘evil’ and demands members resign immediately
Tuesday 22 September 2026 19:20 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump has called the International Criminal Court an “evil group of people” and has called on all of its members to resign.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York Tuesday, the commander-in-chief called the court a “rogue institution” and claimed it was “out of control”.
Trump’s administration has been vocal about its disdain for the court, which prosecutes war crimes and genocide worldwide, announcing sanctions against the body in February last year.
Maira Butt reports...
Trump calls International Criminal Court ‘evil’ and demands members resign
Analysis: Trump at UN pitches himself as the world’s leader but stone-faced General Assembly isn’t buying it
Tuesday 22 September 2026 19:00 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump on Tuesday left United Nations General Assembly delegates stupefied and stunned after a 40-minute speech that meandered from false boasts about his domestic economic record to threats against Iran to an incoherent rant about why Artificial Intelligence should be referred to as "superintelligence" instead.
Trump, who spoke in the customary time slot allocated to American presidents on the first day of speeches by heads of state and government at the annual gathering, appeared to have brought his usual political stump speech to the iconic green marble rostrum by opening his remarks with nearly ten straight minutes of bragging about American economic and domestic conditions of no interest to the global body.
Andrew Feinberg has the analysis...
Trump pitches himself as the world’s leader in bizarre U.N. rant
King of Jordan says Iran war has had far-reaching consequences
Tuesday 22 September 2026 18:45 , Brendan RasciusUpon taking the podium, King Abdullah II of Jordan said the ongoing Iran war has had far-reaching consequences around the world.
“If anyone had any doubt that conflict from our region stays there, just look at the energy and grocery bills of ordinary families, from Mumbai to Minnesota,” he said.
Trump insists he has ushered in era of peace
Tuesday 22 September 2026 18:30 , Brendan RasciusDuring his speech at the U.N., President Trump insisted that he has ushered in an era of peace while handling years of “unfinished business.”
“While others have talked, I have acted,” he told foreign leaders and dignitaries gathered in New York. “While others have spoken of peace, I have made peace. While others have ignored threats, I have confronted them. While others have talked of courage, America has shown it. While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world.”
Watch: Cuban delegation walks out as Trump threatens island at UN
Tuesday 22 September 2026 18:15 , Dan HaygarthTrump expected to meet with leaders of Gulf nations
Tuesday 22 September 2026 18:00 , Brendan RasciusWhile in New York on Tuesday, President Donald Trump is expected to meet with the leaders of six Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
The gathering could prove pivotal in determining the next phase of the Iran war, which has engulfed large swaths of the Middle East.
Inside Iran’s petrol crisis: How war with the US has taken its toll
Tuesday 22 September 2026 17:40 , Maira ButtThis article first appeared on our partner site, Independent Persian
As government officials in Iran announce plans for a 100 per cent increase in petrol prices, reports from cities across the country suggest the main problem is no longer simply the price - access to good-quality fuel is also becoming increasingly difficult.
Jafar Ghaderi, a member of the Iranian parliament’s Economic Commission, said last week that the Islamic Republic of Iran faces a daily petrol shortfall of 15 to 20 million litres and that importing petrol costs around $1 (75p) per litre.
He confirmed the US naval blockade had disrupted the flow of imports into Iran. According to Ghaderi, around 83% of imports had previously entered the country through southern maritime routes, and restrictions on these routes have affected the supply of both goods and fuel.
Inside Iran’s petrol crisis: How war with the US has taken its toll
Global biofuel output to jump nearly 70% by 2030 due to Gulf energy crisis, study finds
Tuesday 22 September 2026 17:10 , Maira ButtGlobal biofuels output is expected to surge nearly 70 per cent by 2030 from 2025 levels as major producing countries respond to the energy crisis triggered by the Iran war, a study published on Tuesday found.
The report was co-authored by London-based think tank Chatham House and non-profit certification group the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Biofuels include products such as ethanol, which can be produced from a range of organic feedstocks but are typically made from food crops or animal feed.
They are then commonly blended with gasoline or diesel and become more competitive as fossil fuel prices rise.
Biofuels have long been at the centre of debate over whether they help tackle climate change or contribute to food inflation and deforestation as the study’s authors warned that the latest surge in demand risks worsening the latter.
"By prioritising energy security in the short term, some policy responses may be trading off against increased food insecurity in the medium term (and) any additional shock such as extreme weather could severely affect food prices," they said.
