Donald Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran in bombastic UN speech

US President Donald Trump laid out a vision of a militaristic US unbound by international rules during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly. In his most jarring statement regarding the seven-month war in Iran, Trump said he faced a 'big decision' on whether to make a deal or 'annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly.' Trump’s speech contrasted sharply with pleas from other world leaders for cooperation and restraint. He insisted the US would not join global regulation of AI, labeling such proposals a 'globalist scheme,' and urged countries to abandon the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile, leaders including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani warned that the future of Palestinians is at a crossroads due to Israel's expansion of West Bank settlements. French President Emmanuel Macron offered a sharp contrast to Trump, calling for countries to recommit to international law and the UN system, asking whether the world wants to live in a 'civilized international society' or return to the 'law of the jungle.'